Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Kermit in trouble with German authorities!

He may be a felt amphibian, but that didn’t stop Kermit the Frog from getting a ticking off from po-faced media watchdogs in Germany.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ZAK, the federal body that regulates German airwaves, objected to a so-called 'Disney Day' on commercial network Pro7.

It featured Kermit presenting several family films, but he also plugged the theatrical release of 'The Muppets' on several occasions (presumably the reason he was shipped over there in the first place).

As the mentions of the film did not come with on screen disclaimers marking them out as adverts - which German Law requires - the coverage was deemed illegal product placement by ZAK.

Pro7 have admitted liability, but may not have to pay a fine. The regulating body can only highlight infringements, but can't enforce any financial penalties, so the legal ramifications are still a bit unclear.

It might just be a slap on the wrist for Kermit. We’re sure he’ll be relieved

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