Brighton animators' real Disney drama (From The Argus)

Media giant threatens DVD legal action against Brighton animators

3:20pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

An animation company is in a row with media giant Disney.

The dispute has broken out over the supposed similarities between Brighton-based Brightspark Productions’ DVD Braver and Disney’s latest blockbuster Brave.

In a David vs Goliath battle, the American multinational is reported to have threatened the Brighton firm with legal action because it believes the title and packaging are too similar to its film.

Disney employs thousands of staff across the world and its films cost millions of dollars. But its rival has just five workers and produce films on shoestring budgets from an office behind Brighton bus station in the Old Steine.

Brightspark Productions’ managing director Jeremy Davis said: “Braver is an item for families on a budget and I very much doubt that anyone would confuse our production with the wonderful work of Disney.

“All we’ve tried to do is give parents something their children will hopefully find entertaining. We came up with our title around 18 months ago and if we thought consumers would mistake our film for Brave we would have renamed it.

Jeremy Davis, Brightspark Productions' managing director

Braver is an item for families on a budget and I very much doubt that anyone would confuse our production with the wonderful work of Disney

“We are currently talking to Disney to find a mutually acceptable resolution.”

Brightspark’s film was originally released in 2005 under the title Fairy Tale Christmas.

On its website it describes the plot: “Once upon a time in a mystical kingdom, Crofton, the king’s viceroy, wished to be king and when he saw how King Ronen would be lost without his daughter Princess Angela he kidnapped her on Christmas Eve, and left the king in despair.

“After many years Angela grew to be a lovely young lady. She had forgotten who she was because of a potion Crofton gave her but she still dreamed, like all girls do, that she was really a princess.”

Disney’s Brave, includes the voices of Billy Connolly and Kelly MacDonald and tells the story of Princess Merida who defies a custom and brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.

No one from Disney responded to The Argus’ requests for a comment yesterday (September 5).

Update: See Disney's response .