A petition started online is calling for Disney to let go of its trademark of the Swahili phrase “Hakuna Matata.”
The petition was started by Zimbabwean activist Shelton Mpala and states that “Disney can’t be allowed to trademark something that it didn’t invent.” It has already received more than 100,000 signatures.
The phrase roughly translates to “no problems” or “no worries” and is a common expression in parts of eastern and southern Africa. It is best known as a song in Disney’s 1994 hit movie “The Lion King” and according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the company trademarked the expression the same year.
In an interview withh CNN, Mpala says he started the petition “to draw attention to the appropriation of African culture and the importance of protecting our heritage, identity and culture from being exploited for financial gain by third parties.”
“This plundered artwork serves to enrich or benefit these museums and corporations and not the creators or people it’s derived from,” Mpala said.
Liz Lenjo, a Kenyan intellectual property and entertainment lawyer, disagrees with the petition. Lenjo said Disney “has not stolen anything” and the outrage over the trademark is misplaced. The blame should go to social media for “blowing things out of proportion” Lenjo said.
“The use of ‘Hakuna Matata’ by Disney does not take away the value of the language,” Lenjo says. “East Africans or whoever speaks Swahili worldwide are not restricted from using the phrase.
“She added: “The conversation on the internet has been blowing up because of a misconception and misunderstanding around intellectual property law, the ethos behind intellectual property law and the various regimes of protection.”
Disney has not responded to the petition. A remake of the “The Lion King” is due for release in 2019.