Disney threatens UK company over DVD's similarity to 'Brave'

Disney is threatening legal action over a DVD which it claims is too similar to its latest release 'Brave'.

Brighton's Brightspark Productions released 'A Fairy Tale Christmas' in 2005, but its new name 'Braver' and its revamped packaging has got the Hollywood giant up in arms.

[Related story: The shameless movie rip-offs]

“People place great trust in the quality and creativity of Disney and, when it appears that another company is causing confusion, we will act to protect ourselves and the consumer,” Disney's European senior vice-president Peter Wiley said.

'Braver' was being sold in supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Tesco for £3, and centres around the story of Princess Angela who has to regain her memory after being put under a spell and held prisoner in a forest.

It was made in Canada for around £64,000, while Pixar's 'Brave' cost £120 million and features a voice cast including Kelly McDonald, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson.

“'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,” said Brightspark owner Jeremy Davis.

“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.”

Brightspark is also said to be in hot water over its release of another film, DVD Britannica's 'Fairy Tales From Around The World', which was renamed 'Tangled Up'. Both the name and the artwork used bear something of a similarity to Disney's 2010 hit 'Tangled'.