YooHoo & Friends
YooHoo & Friends is a South Korean line of stuffed toys released by Aurora World around July 2006.
History
Inspired by a bush baby, the first of the YooHoo & Friends toys that were introduced were five and eight-inch plush animals with big button eyes and long, soft tails. The off-white color plush animal bodies featured yellow, pink, purple or turquoise colors, primarily around the eyes and as color rings on a solid grey tail. The company expanded the line beginning in July 2007 to include Valentine's and graduation-themed YooHoos, eventually leading to the launch of Easter, Halloween and Christmas-themed YooHoos. Aurora continues to expand its merchandising and licensed products worldwide. Other merchandise include educational books, umbrellas, apparel, bedding, room decor and accessories for children, as well as stationery and giftware. Except for the keychain toys, YooHoo & Friends plush animals make sounds when squeezed.Ty, Inc. copyright lawsuit
Aurora World, Inc. filed a federal copyright lawsuit against competitor Ty Inc., alleging Ty's Beanie Boos infringe on YooHoo & Friends. Among Aurora's claims: Ty is in violation of the Copyright Act, Lanham Act, section 17200 of the California Business and Professions Code; common law misappropriation; and common law unfair competition. Ty contends it did not intend to sell "Cleo" and "Bubblegum" in the United States of America. Ty also advised the court that the company had ceased sending out display racks and sell sheets containing images of "Cleo" and "Bubblegum".Aurora's court documents include comparisons of YooHoo & Friends characters with "Bubblegum" and "Cleo" Beanie Boos. Through its court filings, Aurora says, "Ty's unlawful imitations of the YooHoo & Friends products and blatant infringement are damaging Aurora, not only by causing actual confusion and likelihood of confusion in the marketplace...but also by diminishing the value of the YooHoo & Friends products by diluting their distinct and unique nature and erroneously associating them with Ty rather than Aurora." A pre-trial was scheduled to begin on December 20, 2010.