When news emerged last summer the Phillies were suing two well-known puppeteers over copyright ownership of the Phanatic mascot, the story was viewed in a lighthearted way. Phanatic could be a free agent, that sort of thing.



But with spring training now here and a June copyright expiration looming, the case isn’t going away and is heating up. Puppeteers Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, creators of some Muppets characters and other sports mascots and who argue they have the right to walk with Phanatic in four months, have now subpoenaed MLB. In response, MLB this week filed with the New York federal court to object to getting pulled into the dispute.



“MLBP is central to the case, and Defendants are entitled to seek discovery from them,” lawyers for the Erickson and Harrison wrote to the court this week, referring to MLB’s licensing arm, MLB Properties (MLBP). “MLBP belatedly responded to the subpoena this past week, indicating that it...