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ARTICLE · 30 MAY 2019

Muddy Puddles! A Trade Mark Lesson From Peppa Pig

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My 3-year-old daughter simply adores Peppa Pig. She can watch Peppa Pig, her little brother George, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and the other assortment ...

South AfricaIntellectual Property
Amina Suliman
Amina Suliman
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Peppa Pig's lessons for avoiding trade mark hijacking

My 3-year-old daughter simply adores Peppa Pig. She can watch Peppa Pig, her little brother George, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig and the other assortment of characters for hours on end and has even begun laughing and talking like Peppa! As I only recently discovered, Peppa Pig is nothing new in the world of kid's entertainment. Here in South Africa, I have been to a few live shows and my daughter has been keenly eyeing the Peppa Pig toys. Due to over-exposure, I now know the Bing Bong song by heart and often find myself unconsciously singing it!

There is no doubt about it, Peppa Pig has become a worldwide phenomenon. I recently read about the difficulties that Entertainment One, the owner of the Peppa Pig brand, has encountered in China since entering that market in 2015. This comes as no surprise, given the notoriety China has when it comes to trade mark squatting. Trade mark squatting or hijacking, simply put, is

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