Can a cartoon character be protected by copyright?
ANSWER
Yes, an original cartoon character is protected from the moment it is first fixed in tangible form. For example, a two dimensional image of the copyrighted cartoon character is protected from copying into any other medium, whether it be by photograph, photocopy, sculpture, or scanning onto a computer screen.
In other words, a three dimensional sculpture based on the two dimensional rendering of the cartoon character is a derivative work which infringes the original two dimensional version. The fact that the infringer transformed the two dimensional image into three dimensions does not allow him to escape the original artist's copyright. Doing so constitutes the creation of an unauthorized derivative work.
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