https://www.change.org/p/13948413/psf/p ... t=existing
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/d ... -1.4957382Disney accused of appropriation for trademarking Swahili words 'Hakuna Matata'
Company first trademarked Swahili phrase in 1994, but new Lion King film is prompting exploitation debate
Disney's trademarking of the Swahili phrase "Hakuna Matata," used in its smash hit The Lion King, has prompted a petition referring to the legal move as appropriation.
The term, which means "no worries" or "no trouble," is commonly used throughout East Africa where Swahili is spoken, including in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Burundi.
Disney first applied for the trademark in 1994, which is the same year its animated film — which used the now-ubiquitous catchphrase — hit theatres. The movie's widespread popularity is how most North Americans became familiar with the foreign words.
A live-action version directed by The Jungle Book's Jon Favreau set to be released in July of 2019 has prompted new debate over whether language can be owned by an entity that didn't create it and whose proprietors don't speak it.
Tens of thousands of signatures
"The decision to trademark 'Hakuna Matata' is predicated purely on greed and is an insult not only [to] the spirit of the Swahili people but also, Africa as a whole," the petition, started by Toronto-based, Zimbabwean-born Shelton Mpala, reads.
"Disney can't be allowed to trademark something that it didn't invent," the petition says.
