October is here and you know what that means: spooky season has officially begun! Time to carve out some pumpkins, watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, bake some ghost-shaped cookies, and prank-scare your loved ones! It's also time to pick out a costume for Halloween if you haven't done so already.
Creator @alessanderrrrr was looking for a costume at a store in Spain and found some hilarious off-brand horror and pop culture icons. Manufacturers get creative with naming to avoid copyright issues and the results are often ridiculous. What alternatives did they choose for Wednesday Addams, Mickey Mouse, and Jigsaw? Scroll down and see for yourself!
@alessanderrrrr Guys please help me choose!!!! ???? #fyp #halloween #funny #viral ♬ original sound - Sander <3
#1 We Don't Have Wednesday, We Have Tuesday
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
People love dressing up for Halloween and the state of the Halloween costume market reflects that. In 2023, experts projected that the sum of money spent by Americans on Halloween costumes will be $4 billion. Even if people don't buy ready-made costumes, DIYing a good Halloween costume can cost a pretty penny as well.
What's more, people buy more things on Halloween than just costumes. There are decorations, party supplies, tickets to events and experiences, and so on. According to Statista, the amount Americans will spend on all things Halloween in 2024 should be $11.6 billion in total.
#2 We Don't Have Batman, We Have Black Hero
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
#3 We Don't Have Edward Scissorhands, We Have Black Scissors
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
Why can't manufacturers just name the costumes Chucky, Wednesday, and Batman? Because of copyright laws. The studios who produced the movies or shows these characters appear in own the copyright. And, if the manufacturers and stores don't want to have legal trouble, they have to get creative with product naming.
But what about the costumes themselves then? Why can we dress up exactly like Jigsaw and not get in any trouble? This is all laid down in the Copyright Act. It states that costumes are "useful articles" and don't qualify for copyright protection. So, technically, the likeness of a character isn't what's copyrighted.
#4 Y'all Thought We Had Beast, No, We Have Animal Prince
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
#5 Y'all Thought We Had Jigsaw, No, Assassin Tricycle
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
Then why does Mickey Mouse have to become Mousy? Because the law does protect design elements. For example, while Superman's blue tights and red underwear with the red cape aren't copyrighted as such, the stylized Superman S on the costume's chest is.
#6 It's Not Chucky Its A Bad Toy
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
#7 It's Not Texas Chainsaw, It's Electrical Saw Killer
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
Masks, however, do qualify for copyright protection because masks fall outside of the "useful article" classification. But there still are some exceptions. The Michael Meyers mask, for example, is fair game because it's just a mold of William Shatner's face painted white and therefore not creative enough. At least that's what a court decided in 2000.
#8 We Don't Have Freddy Krueger. We Have Dream Killer
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
#9 Not Harley Quinn, Dangerous Girl
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
But, again, what's with the names? Well, that isn't copyright, but trademark. Wednesday can only be Wednesday if the manufacturers have a license. If they don't, they need to name the costume something else. Trademark is not about copying the mark, but about causing confusion in the marketplace.
#10 We Don't Have Jason, We Have Psycho
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
#11 Y'all Thought We Had Mickey Mouse, No, We Have Mousy
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
Historians say that Americans have been celebrating Halloween since the late 19th century. In 2024, 72% of Americans said they would be participating in some kind of Halloween activities. And while today, many associate Halloween with the US, its origins are actually in the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain.
#12 Not Black Panther
Image credits: alessanderrrrr
So, what's the funniest costume name you've ever seen in a Halloween store, Pandas? And what are your Halloween costume ideas? Are you going store-bought or will you be making your own Juice Demon costume? Let us know your plans in the comments and share your past and future ideas for a spooky and funny costume!
