The Walt Disney Company came under fire this week after its attempt to copyright the name ‘Dia de los Muertos,’ a holiday that has been celebrated in Mexico for centuries. The Mouse House later decided to withdraw its attempt on Tuesday.
Disney’s Pixar is currently working on a film about the holiday, which is known as the ‘Day of the Dead’ in English. While the film still doesn’t have a title and is a few years away from release, Disney tried to copyright the holiday’s name for merchandising.
According to The Guardian, the studio applied to use the name for “fruit-based snack foods,” “Christmas-tree ornaments and decorations,” “decorative magnets,” “non-medicated toiletries" and "frozen meals consisting primarily of pasta or rice.”
Several people on Twitter were outraged by Disney’s attempt to monetize a cultural tradition. “On the offensiveness scale, it seems awful and crass, as the words 'Dia de Los Muertos' aren't just some brand name but a holiday,” La Cucaracha creator Lalo Alcaraz tweeted.
After the outrage, Disney sent a statement to Deadline.
“As we have previously announced, Disney-Pixar is developing an animated feature inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos,” the statement reads. “Disney’s trademark filing was intended to protect any potential title for our film and related activities. It has since been determined that the title of the film will change, and therefore we are withdrawing our trademark filing.”
Lee Unkrich, the director of Toy Story 3 is directing the film, which was announced last April.