YooHoo & Friends
Encyclopedia
YooHoo & Friends is a line of stuffed toys, created by plush toy and gift manufacturer Aurora World. Introduced in 2006 as plush
animals, the toys are based on animals, many endangered species
, from around the world. There is also an animated television series in development.
, Halloween
and holiday-themed YooHoos. The company continues to expand its merchandising
and licensed products worldwide. Items 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.
animated series, YooHoo & Friends, was created to educate children about protection and preservation of the environment and encourages parents and their children to appreciate friendship, harmony, honesty and courage. Totaling 52 episodes, the show first aired in South Korea
on the Korean Broadcasting System network and is scheduled to be released through Al Jazeera
the United Arab Emirates
, Detskiy in Russia
and BBC World News in Croatia. Developed in 2007, the YooHoo & Friends characters are a species who, along with their habitat where they grow "Trees of Life", are at risk of extinction because of worsening environmental conditions. When a "Tree of Life" seed is accidentally blown away to Earth
, the characters go on adventures to find the magical seed, avoiding danger and receiving help from new friends made along the journey. The five main characters are Yoohoo the Bush Baby, Roodee the Capuchin Monkey, Pammee the Fennec Fox, Lemmee the Ring-tailed Lemur and Chewoo the Red Squirrel. The show will be coming to America in April 2011 with a new storyline of the animals originally being environmentally destructive executives transformed by Father Time
(voiced by Flavor Flav
) to atone for their misdeeds.
, calendars and coloring sheets, in addition to sending e-card
s and adopting YooHoo & Friends.
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. 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 is scheduled to begin on December 20, 2010.
Plush
Plush is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet.Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush...
animals, the toys are based on animals, many endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, from around the world. There is also an animated television series in development.
History and products
Inspired by a bush baby, the first YooHoo & Friends toys introduced were five and eight-inch plush animals with big 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 EasterEaster
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
and holiday-themed YooHoos. The company continues to expand its merchandising
Merchandising
Merchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity. In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer...
and licensed products worldwide. Items include educational books, umbrellas, apparel, bedding, room decor and accessories for children, as well as stationery and giftware. Except for the keychain
Keychain
A keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from metal or plastic, that connects a small item to a keyring. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring...
toys, YooHoo & Friends plush animals make sounds when squeezed.
Animated series
The 2D2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
animated series, YooHoo & Friends, was created to educate children about protection and preservation of the environment and encourages parents and their children to appreciate friendship, harmony, honesty and courage. Totaling 52 episodes, the show first aired in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on the Korean Broadcasting System network and is scheduled to be released through Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Detskiy in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and BBC World News in Croatia. Developed in 2007, the YooHoo & Friends characters are a species who, along with their habitat where they grow "Trees of Life", are at risk of extinction because of worsening environmental conditions. When a "Tree of Life" seed is accidentally blown away to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, the characters go on adventures to find the magical seed, avoiding danger and receiving help from new friends made along the journey. The five main characters are Yoohoo the Bush Baby, Roodee the Capuchin Monkey, Pammee the Fennec Fox, Lemmee the Ring-tailed Lemur and Chewoo the Red Squirrel. The show will be coming to America in April 2011 with a new storyline of the animals originally being environmentally destructive executives transformed by Father Time
Father Time
Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device...
(voiced by Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
) to atone for their misdeeds.
Website
Yoohoofriends.com is an interactive website where visitors can learn more about the YooHoo & Friends characters, endangered animals and their habitats. Yoohoofriends.com registrants can play games, download wallpapersComputer wallpaper
Wallpaper is an image used as a background of a graphical user interface on a computer screen or mobile communications device. On a computer it is usually for the desktop, while for a mobile phone it is usually the background for the 'home' or 'idle' screen...
, calendars and coloring sheets, in addition to sending e-card
E-card
An e-card is similar to a postcard or greeting card, with the primary difference being that it is created using digital media instead of paper or other traditional materials. E-cards are made available by publishers usually on various Internet sites, where they can be sent to a recipient, usually...
s and adopting YooHoo & Friends.
Federal copyright lawsuit
Aurora World, Inc. filed a federal copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
lawsuit against competitor Ty Inc.
Ty Inc.
Ty Inc. is an American plush animal company based in Westmont, Illinois. By far their most famous line of products are the Beanie Babies, but Ty also manufactures other lines of stuffed toys...
, alleging Ty's Beanie Boos infringe on YooHoo & Friends. Among Aurora's claims: Ty is in violation of the Copyright Act
Copyright Act
Copyright Act may refer to:Canada* Copyright Act of CanadaHong Kong*Copyright Ordinance 1997India*New Zealand* Copyright Act 1994United Kingdom...
, Lanham Act
Lanham Act
The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.-History:Named for Representative Fritz G...
, 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. 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 is scheduled to begin on December 20, 2010.