⚖️ “Masha and the Bear” Sues Character Creator
In October 2026, Moscow’s Kuzminsky District Court will begin hearing a lawsuit filed by Masha and the Bear LLC against Oleg Kuzovkov, the creator of the animated series’ key characters.
The studio is seeking formal recognition of its exclusive rights to the characters, claiming that the artist’s current actions pose a threat of intellectual property infringement.
Tensions escalated after the licensing agreement between Kuzovkov and the rights holder expired in June 2025. Following the termination of the contract, the animator launched an independent company, Studio MiM, and announced a feature-length film featuring the adventures of Masha and the Bear with a completely revamped visual style.
The plaintiff maintains that the characters were created as part of the company’s production process and constitute its intellectual property. The defense, however, emphasizes that Kuzovkov conceived the original character concepts prior to the project’s launch, making them standalone works of copyright.
At the heart of the legal dispute will be the judicial interpretation of the agreement that granted the studio an exclusive license to use the drawings through June 30, 2025. The court must determine the scope of rights actually assigned to the company and rule on whether Masha and the Bear LLC retains control over the character designs following the expiration of the agreement.
Source: Vedomosti
