As if there wasn’t already enough controversy over Simba and Kimba, Toon Zone alerts us to an article at BBC News Online about an author of children’s books in France suing Disney. The author, Franck Le Calvez, claims that many of the characters in Disney/Pixar’s smash hit Finding Nemo are similar to characters in a book he published a couple years back. The main character in his book is Pierrot the Clown Fish and a surgeon fish and cleaner shrimp are also featured. Le Calvez’ lawyer, Pascal Kamina, contends, “The similarities are sufficiently troubling for us to ask for an explanation from Disney,” while Disney claims, “The allegation is totally baseless – Finding Nemo is a work that belongs to Pixar and Disney and is an independent creation.” Apparently the ocean is now also going to need lawyer fish.
Suing Nemo: Litigation Hits The Undersea World