Phillies Settle Lawsuit, Could Pave Way for Old Phanatic's Return

Could the original Phillie Phanatic be returning to Philadelphia?

Kade Kistner | Nov 16, 2021

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies recently settled a lawsuit between themselves and the creators of the Phanatic—Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison. The row stemmed from the fact that the original Phanatic's copyright was sold to the Phillies in 1984.

However, per copyright laws, those rights expired in 2019. This prompted Philadelphia to create the "new" Phanatic which distinguished itself just enough from the original to be allowable by law according to a magistrate judge.

Yet, the creators of the Phanatic felt that the Phillies were merely "counterfeiting" the original and threatened an injunction on Philadelphia for its use. They even threatened to sell the Phanatic to another team if needed, a "free agent" of sorts. This prompted the Phillies to file a lawsuit against Erickson and Harrison in order to protect their usage of the lovable mascot.

After a contentious fight through the legal system, both sides came to a settlement. The Phillies will reportedly pay an undisclosed sum of money to the creators who were seeking "millions" and Philadelphia could continue to use the new mascot.

The settlement allows the Phillies to use the old design of the Phanatic if they choose to do so. It seems incredibly likely that the franchise will elect to use the original design of the most recognized mascot in baseball. Welcome back, old friend.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Facebook and Twitter!

Published Nov 16, 2021

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.