The Cubs are not happy with an unauthorized mascot If you outlaw outlaw mascots only outlaws will be outlaw mascots. Or something: When is a cub, not a Cub? When he isn’t sanctioned by the company which owns the copyright. That’s the plight of John Paul Weier, who for the last six years, has been playing the role of “Billy Cub”, a cuddly bear figure who strolls the sidewalks outside Wrigley Field, posing for photos and clowning with fans before and after Cub games. Except Billy Cub is not sanctioned by the Cubs. And he puts out a tip jar in a small Igloo cooler and some people complained to the Cubs when one of his employees cussed them out last year. It’s like the freakin’ wild-wild west. Except fuzzier. But I gotta say, after this bit, I’m inclined to be on Billy’s side: Citing allegations of trademark infringement, the League sent Weier a 100-plus page letter, ordering him to stop wearing the Billy Cub costume, and engaging in “unabated Mascot Activities.” After consulting with a lawyer, he ignored it. And the next day, he said he was confronted by a Cubs executive. “Someone came up to me, very angry, and said, ‘did you not get our letter?’” Problem was, Weier was in costume and in character at the time. And since Billy doesn’t speak, he says he just stood there, gesturing and shrugging, as the executive in question got angrier. “Unabated Mascot Activities?” Yeah, you go with that, MLB.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 13:19:10 +0000
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