The Disney company has lost an important legal battle in its fight against a British company which claims it is entitled to a share of the profits from the “Winnie-the-Pooh” franchise. Disney acquired the rights to Pooh and the rest of A.A. Milne’s famous characters in 1961, but a judge ruled that the company had been evasive, and destroyed crucial documents relating to the true nature of the franchise ownership. Marketing of the Pooh characters nets Disney $1 billion per year in profit.