A Pig in Wolf’s Clothing: Lessons to be Learned from Hasbro Consumers Products Licensing Ltd v SConnect Co. Ltd

The High Court’s judgment in Hasbro Consumers Products Licensing Ltd v SConnect Co. Ltd delivers an important warning to competing brands: there is no safe minimum when copying part of another brand, and ignorance of copying is no defence.

The producers of Peppa Pig successfully secured summary judgment against the producers of the Wolfoo animation franchise by proving the unauthorised use of short audio clips, including snorts and words spoken by its characters. SConnect argued that they had no knowledge that the clips had been used since they were provided by a third-party contractor. But primary copying is an act of strict liability, and the Judge ruled that their lack of knowledge was irrelevant.

Crucially, the Judge reinforced the principle that infringement hinges on a “substantial part” of copying assessed qualitatively, not quantitatively. This mirrors earlier music industry cases like the violin hook in Young at Heart, the organ solo in A Whiter Shade of Pale, and inclusion by The Verve of a five-note sample of the symphonic string arrangement of The Rolling Stones’ song “The Last Time” in Bittersweet Symphony.

The Judge held that all Wolfoo videos must be removed from all streaming platforms, including YouTube, on a worldwide basis even though the claim was brought only in the English court—ruling that a global order across all World Trade Organisation member states was the proportionate remedy for this systematic copying.

The Spencer West Intellectual Property Team advises on all aspects of protecting, policing, and enforcing your valuable intellectual property rights.