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"My name's Pat, ... Postman Pat"

By Johanna Gibson, David Pearce, Jeremy Phillips and Ilanah Simon.

Following the example set by Disney in keeping Mickey Mouse both fashionable and highly IP-protectable through a succession of makeovers, The Daily Mail reports that the world's best-known fictitious Cumbrian character, Postman Pat, has been updated too. For years, Postman Pat has relied on his trusty van (right) and his black-and-white cat Jess. Now he has been equipped with a gyrocopter (below, left), a motorbike with sidecar and what the newspaper -- having carefully studied the ECJ's ruling in Case C-2/00 Michael Hölterhoff v Ulrich Freiesleben -- non-infringingly calls a "BlackBerry-style" mobile phone.

The news item describes "a ?high-octane?, ?energetic? Pat, who has been compared to James Bond by his makers and who ends each episode by declaring: ?Mission accomplished.? Jane Smith, chief commercial and creative director of Entertainment Rights, the company behind Pat, tellingly reveals:

"He is more heroic. Previously, Pat was everybody?s friend, everybody?s local postman. 'He is now everybody?s local hero because he has so many more challenges in his job. He delivers everything and anything ? animals, bouncy castles, live bats, a runaway cow ? and he has a mission every episode. 'There is a lot more action; children are used to seeing a lot of fast-paced programmes now".

Postman Pat has been broadcast in more than 150 countries, including China, with book sales of 15 million.

The IPKat notes that James Bond is being 'refreshed', in consequence of which, in Quantum of Solace, he will no longer be delivering his trademark (sic) line: "My name's Bond, ... James Bond". This clears the way for Postman Pat to break the ice by opening: "My name's Pat, .... Postman Pat". Merpel just wonders whether Postman Pat is ever called on to deliver infringing goods purchased from Dodgy Rolex websites ...

Official Postman Pat site here
More than you ever wanted to know about Postman Pat here

Full post as published by IPKat on September 24, 2008 (boomark / email).