Cheburashka was returned to his homeland
Well-known Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov bought the commercial rights to the collection of Soviet cartoons from the Californian company Film by Jove, and gave it to Russian state television channel Bibigon.
The acquisition of intellectual property rights by Swinstar Holdings Limited, which is owned by Usmanov, was completed on September 3, 2007. The transaction amount was not specified.
Film by Jove have a right to hire outside of the CIS more than 500 classic Soviet animated film, including films about Cheburashka, "Hedgehog in the Fog," "The Scarlet Flower," "Mowgli", "The Snow Queen," "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" and many others.
In 1992 the company Film by Jove has signed a contract with the rental company Soyuzmultfilm and got exclusive rights to use, restoration, distribution, licensing, production Soyuzmultfilm outside the former Soviet Union.
In 2003 trial began between FSUE Soyuzmultfilm ", Film by Jove and OAO Studio Soyuzmultfilm. Soyuzmultfilm challenged the legality of the transfer of rights of Film by Jove, since, as asserted by the plaintiffs, lease enterprise "studio Soyuzmultfilm had no authority to transfer rights to the cartoons, reports BBC.
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