The pants make the sponge

I like me some Sponge Bob, but I don't think I'll ever be able to watch it with the same innocent glee after reading about this litigation. Appearently a guy had a little cartoon character he peddled locally (Northern California) in the early 90's. Being a sponge, he was rectangular and yellow with eyes and feet. His name was Bob Spongee.

Bob Spongee? Oh man, that is awesome. Best quote from the article:

Viacom's attorneys have said in court documents that Sponge Bob is different than Bob Spongee.

"Defendants' work(s) are not substantially similar to any protectible elements of any of plaintiff's allegedly infringed works," attorneys wrote in response to Walker's complaint.

That is golden. They are quite a bit different though. Bob Spongee is married and wears no pants, while Sponge Bob is a dedicated bachelor and has squarepants. I can't really put my finger on what I love so much about this story, but I do enjoy well-written cartoons, litigation, and the tainting of innocence by major corporations so I guess my joy makes sense.

Oh, there is an official Bob Spongee page. Enjoy.