Godzilla’s image is for sale, but permission is needed. And for decades, lawyers acting on behalf of Godzilla’s owners, Tokyo-based Toho Company, have amassed a string of victories fighting counterfeiters and business titans.
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A mother lifts her child up to see better view of a statue of Godzilla outside Toho’s office in Tokyo. Junji Kurokawa / AP Photo -
A representative from Toho wearing a traditional Japanese dress holds a plastic model of Godzilla at the Los Angeles movie premiere of Godzilla on May 8, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Robyn Beck / AFP -
Godzilla celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in NOvember 29, 2004. Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo -
A figure of Godzilla in a diorama on display at Cheepa’s gallery in Tokyo. Junji Kurokawa / AP Photo -
A 20-foot statue of Godzilla towers over the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on May 9, 2014 after it was unveiled. The latest version of the giant amphibian will hit the 3D screen at the TCL Chinese Theatre and across the United States on May 16. Robyn Beck / AFP -
The character Godzilla, right, fights Mechagodzilla during a demonstration at the Toho film studio in Tokyo on July 16, 2002. Tsugufumi Matsumoto / AP Photo -
Godzilla on the Honda Float themed “I Love A Parade,” during the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California in 1991. Tournament of Roses Association / AP Photo -
Above, a scene from the movie Godzilla. Warner Bros Pictures / AP Photo
In pictures: Godzilla needs a lawyer, too
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