@Tony Rogers • June 3, 2016
Copyright and trademark issues are complicated, and despite their views toward Ball’s design, when the
We felt like
Smiley Company attempted to trademark the image in
it was time to
the United States in 1997, they became embroiled in
bring back an
a legal battle with Walmart, which started using the
old friend,
smiley face as a corporate logo in 1996 and tried to
and one of the
claim ownership of it (because of course they did.)
most-recognized symbols of
The law suit lasted 10 years and cost both companies
low price
millions of dollars. It was settled out of court in
... Smiley.
2007 but its terms remain undisclosed. In 2001, Charlie Ball tried to reclaim the optimistic legacy of his father’s creation from unbridled commercialization by starting the World Smile Foundation, which donates money to grass-roots charitable efforts that otherwise receive little attention or funding.