Playmobil Gets Furious With Creative Story-Telling Pastor

In a somewhat odd response to a German pastor using Playmobil characters to tell Bible stories, Playmobil, the largest German toy company, sent lawyers after the pastor telling him he couldn’t change the appearance of the figures, asserting it was a violation of copyright.

Anyone that has been part of the marketing industry knows this isn’t exactly a smart move, especially in the toy industry, where children have always been known to take figures and toys to adapt them in all sorts of creative ways. It’s even encouraged by smart company executives.

The company should have been glad to get the free publicity and just let the situation slide.

Think photoshop in the physical world, and you get the idea of the stupidity of attempting to control the way people use your product.

This is the fun of getting products like this. Think of a Harley Davidson that couldn’t be customized the way you wanted it. No one would buy one, as that’s what makes the brand so great.