Disney has been accused of trying to claim media ownership of the popular hashtag ‘MayThe4th’ on Twitter.
The company’s streaming service, Disney Plus, encouraged fans to share their favourite Star Wars memories using the hashtag on Monday.
It follows up with a legal warning suggesting that any user who tweeted that hashtag was agreeing to Disney’s terms and letting it use their content.
It backtracked after a huge protest by fans and widespread mockery.
The hashtag – a play on the franchise’s phrase ‘May the force be with you’, has been used for years to coincide with the made-up fan holiday.
The tweet said; ‘Reply with your favourite #Star Wars memory and you may see it somewhere special #MayThe4th.
‘By sharing your message with us during #MayThe4th, you agree to our use of your message and account name in all media and our terms of use’.
Many fans rushed to share their confusion over Disney’s tweet.
Aaron Wood, IP lawyer at Keystone Law, said that due to the popularity of the hashtag, it was unlikely that Disney’s tweet would have been seen by everyone who used it
Twitter’s policy states that users own the unique content that they post on the social media service.
Wood said: “A user can give permission to someone else to use their tweet. However, Disney’s risk is whether users who simply use the hashtag are really giving them that permission”.
