A toy company has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against a popular TikTok and Instagram account called "Sylvanian Drama."
Epoch Company Ltd., is the US maker of adorable fuzzy dolls called Calico Critters. Those dolls are known as "Sylvanian Families" in other markets, and more recently, they became a viral sensation after an Ireland-based content creator, Thea Von Engelbrechten, started making funny videos in which the dolls acted out dark, cringey adult storylines.
Claiming that the "Sylvanian Drama" videos infringed on Epoch's intellectual property rights, including using an Epoch marketing image as her account's profile picture while profiting off partnerships with major brands featured in her videos, the toymaker sued Von Engelbrechten, prompting her to immediately stop posting videos last year. Although some fans predicted the account might never come back, experts told Ars that Epoch may come to regret the lawsuit, perhaps alienating a potential market for their toys by going after a widely beloved content creator.
To some, Epoch appeared to be lashing out after Von Engelbrechten secured brand partnerships that seemed to be more lucrative than the toy company's own brand deals. In that way, they also perhaps overlooked an opportunity to partner with Von Engelbrechten themselves, experts told Ars.
On Friday, Von Engelbrechten's response was due in the lawsuit, but a story posted to her Instagram earlier this week signaled that a resolution may have been in the works. Ars could not reach Von Engelbrechten for comment, but she asked her fans to recommend a new account name in her story and confirmed that she would also be changing her account's profile picture.
The filing from Epoch did not discuss any reason for the voluntary dismissal, and Epoch's legal team did not immediately respond to Ars' request for comment. The only other consequence that Von Engelbrechten appears to face from the battle is agreeing to pay her own costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees.
So far, no new videos have been posted on TikTok or Instagram, and Ars could not detect any noticeable changes in the account information yet. It's possible that "Sylvanian Drama" will have to abide by some privately agreed-upon new stipulations to continue using the dolls to pose as shallow characters delivering blunt lines satirizing everything from trendy açai bowls to US inflation. Experts had speculated there could even possibly be a licensing deal struck at the end of the lawsuit.
But likely reassuring to millions of "Sylvanian Drama" fans, it appears that the lawsuit hasn't killed off the account. Alexandra Jane Roberts, a Northeastern University professor of law and media with special expertise in trademark law, previously told Ars that Epoch may have struggled to win the lawsuit since it's likely impossible to trademark their dolls' designs.
"There's only so many ways to make a small fuzzy bunny that doesn't look like this," Roberts told Ars.
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