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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rted_disneymistake_5.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:No amount of [[Creator/DreamWorksAnimation dreams]] could make this [[{{Pun}} work]].]]
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->''"But in animation, everyone is expected to come as close as they can to Creator/WaltDisney. That's not a rap on Disney. He was a genius, an innovator... his stuff was so terrific that people came to believe that that was all there was to animation."''
-->-- '''Creator/RalphBakshi, in the notes for the DVD release of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanPop'''''
Ah, the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon. Such wonderful movies to be found in it: ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess''...
Wait, what do you mean that last one doesn't belong? It's ''not'' Creator/{{Disney}}? Don't be ridiculous, only Disney could produce animation of ''that'' quality!
Sadly, many people in RealLife believe that, if it's a quality [[AnimatedFilms animated feature film]], it was made by Creator/{{Disney}}. This is possibly a side effect of the AnimationAgeGhetto, as people are led to believe that not only are all cartoons for kids, but they're all made by the same kid-friendly company. Who (aside from fans of animation) wants to tell these people that there's more than one animation studio out there? SmallReferencePools might play a role here, as well. Some people go so far as to believe that Disney ''invented'' animation, which isn't true either: Walt was still in junior high school when ''WesternAnimation/GertieTheDinosaur'' was released (though he did release the first ''feature-length'' hand-drawn cartoon, namely ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'').
Remember, though, that Creator/{{Disney}} ''is'' the market leader in animated movies, and so it's understandable that rival animation studios [[FollowTheLeader follow trends]] set by the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon (including {{Disneyfication}}). One critical reason is Creator/DonBluth, responsible for taking that style with him when he left Disney, using it in his films with other studios and making that line more blurred if you're not paying closer attention than looking and assuming. Disney also releases films not made by a Disney animation studio, such as ''WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToaster'', and handles international distribution of some bigger-name foreign animators, most notably the works of Creator/StudioGhibli (prior to [=GKids=] buying out the distribution rights to the majority of the latter's backlog).
Though it seems easy to distinguish when doing the bare minimum of research, Disney uses {{Vanity Plate}}s on its work, and so do the other big-name animation studios. However, this can be muddied somewhat when studios strike up unanticipated strange licensing agreements - for example, Disney having the broadcast rights for ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' in Asia, and between 2009 and 2016, somehow also ended up with the distribution and broadcast rights for [=DreamWorks=] movies in certain regions, creating a very bizarre scenario where ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' and ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wwkvLMuL50 were screened on Disney Channel Asia]] (and in the case of Japan, a double whammy where ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' screened on Disney Channel Japan because they no longer have a Nickelodeon feed in the country, in addition to [=DreamWorks'=] said agreement with Disney).
Since Disney's most famous movies are traditionally animated films, this usually applies to traditionally animated movies. On the CGI front, {{Creator/DreamWorks|Animation}} has become a big enough name in its own right that their films rarely get mistaken for Creator/{{Pixar}}'s anymore. The other guys (such as Creator/BlueSkyStudios, Creator/IlluminationEntertainment or Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation)... not so much. If it shares [=DreamWorks=]' tendency towards subversive or referential humor, chances are it'll get mistaken for one of their films. So a sub-trope of this could be "All CG Animation is Pixar or [=DreamWorks=]".
As being an animation fan as an adult becomes less stigmatised, this trope is beginning to die off. This is also due to many films such as ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' gaining cult followings and being recognized as some of the best animated films, largely even considered ''contenders'' to Disney in quality. However, because of Creator/DonBluth becoming a household name in the animation community, it's still common for people to believe that all non-Disney 2D-animated films were made by him instead. Just [[FandomEnragingMisconception make sure not to make this mistake around animation fans]]. At the very least, you'll get eye-rolls from them.
Subtrope of WrongfullyAttributed. Compare/Contrast AllAnimeIsNaughtyTentacles and DisneyOwnsThisTrope. MisattributedSong is the variant of this trope for music. When official sources mix up the studios, it's usually because the writer pulled a CowboyBebopAtHisComputer.
Not to be confused with {{Disneyesque}} or {{Disneyfication}}. Of course, sometimes the confusion goes the other way and a film really ''is'' by Disney, but it's hard to convince people of this because [[RealityIsUnrealistic it's so "un-Disneylike"]] (''Film/PrettyWoman'' or ''Film/PulpFiction'', among many, many others).
Animated [[TheMockbuster mockbusters]] often play on this trope deliberately to make unwary customers think their cheap knockoff is the original.
----
!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
!!Works regularly mistaken for Disney:
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* [[https://ameblo.jp/honeybee-8383/entry-12188232789.html This article]] about a ''Anime/MahoGirlsPrecure'' event has an image with "Copyright Disney" in the corner, when Toei Animation actually made the show.
* This [[https://www.aliexpress.com/i/3256802936492086.html?gatewayAdapt=4itemAdapt listing]] for a Kurama keychain from ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' calls it a "Disney keychain", when Studio Pierrot made the show, and Shueisha owns the rights to the manga.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Poor Creator/DonBluth. This might happen to him the most. [[JustifiedTrope Then again]], he did get his start at Disney and ended up pitted against them during MediaNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation.
** Warner Bros. tried to play this trope to its advantage during test screenings of ''WesternAnimation/{{Thumbelina|1994}}''. When they played the film with the Warner logo, audiences gave it a mediocre score. When they played it with the Disney logo, the scores were ''much'' higher. Bluth reported the same thing was employed by 20th Century Fox with ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}''. With the Disney logo, some sequences even met with applause! And the marketing of ''Anastasia'' heavily played up the {{Disneyesque}} elements. Funnily enough, thanks to Disney's purchase of Fox, the film is now ''owned by Disney''.
** It's not uncommon to find screencaps from the film with a "copyright Disney" watermark on the corner still floating around on the internet due to this.
** The Disney Channel aired almost every Bluth film in the mid-1990s to add to that confusion. They even aired films that neither they nor Bluth made, like ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest''.
** Several websites of song lyrics file Bluth film lyrics under Disney films instead.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmNtmaq12gQ This video]] about ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' makes a joke during a Disney medley about Bluth's films being Disney!
** [[https://www.indy100.com/article/10-political-messages-you-didnt-realise-were-hidden-in-disney-movies--b17htesM9bb This site]] points to alleged political messages hidden in Disney movies, including in its list ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH'' and ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven''.
** [[https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/Herbie This]] Website/{{Uncyclopedia}} page about [[Film/TheLoveBug Herbie]] jokingly implies that ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'' is a Disney film.
* ''WesternAnimation/OnceUponAForest'' is frequently mistaken for a Disney movie, also sometimes mistaken for a Don Bluth movie, when it was in fact produced by Creator/HannaBarbera. The film was distributed by Fox, which is now ''owned'' by Disney.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' is frequently misidentified as Disney, even on Website/ThisVeryWiki. It was actually made by the Creator/WarnerBros animation studio and directed by Creator/BradBird… who would soon after make films for Creator/{{Pixar}}.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'':
** One reviewer was under the impression that Thomas had been produced by Disney. Then again, the review itself was poking fun at fundamentalist Christians who think all movies are the work of the devil.
** Muddying the issue is that the movie actually aired on Playhouse Disney regularly in Asian markets. Heck, it seems that Creator/HiTEntertainment had an alliance with Disney in Asia (''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' actually aired on Playhouse Disney in the region) up until when they launched their own channel, [=JimJam=].
** Japanese confectionery Furuta used to call ''Thomas'' a Disney show on one of its products from the show, but when they lost the Disney license, the mistake was fixed.
* ''WesternAnimation/MagicAdventuresOfMumfie'', Thomas' sister show, is not alone in this trope either. However, it isn't surprising as the art style of the movie ''[[TheMovie Mumfie's Quest]]'' can easily be mistaken for Disney's, as well as the presence of multiple musical numbers. Britt Allcroft adapted the movie from Katharine Tozer's books, and Phoenix Animation Studios animated it. However, some episodes of the TV series following the episodes the movie was made from avert this trope when it's animated by D'Ocon, as they look different.
** [[http://www.skrotnissen.no/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=40888 This website]] calls the show "Walt Disney at its' [sic] finest!" Oddly enough, D'Ocon animated the episodes on this particular VHS tape.
** Similar to its sister show, the Italian Disney Channel played Mumfie in the early 2000's on Playhouse Disney, right before ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''.
** It also doesn't help that Pinkey looks very similar to [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron Hen Wen]], but with wings. In fact, a few people who want to remember this movie often mistake it for The Black Cauldron due to this.
* Most of the output of 20th Century Fox (which was almost entirely the work of Bluth) and much later, their 3D studio Creator/BlueSkyStudios, gets mistaken for Disney… or [=DreamWorks=] in the case of their CGI films. Though, thanks to Disney's recent purchase of Fox, they ''technically'' wouldn't be wrong about that now.
** At least [[http://www.amazon.com/review/RH3B1MC2JCH9R/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0007GAE12 one customer review]] for the soundtrack for the Creator/BlueSkyStudios film ''WesternAnimation/{{Robots}}'' calls it a Disney film.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UAEzhOI5x0 This video]] calls the Creator/{{DreamWorks|Animation}} film ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' a Disney film. They did fix the description after several commentators pointed it out, though.
* In the heyday of Disney's Renaissance of the late '80s/early '90s, many many low-budget animation houses lived off this trope like kings. They made (or more likely scrounged up) the most [[TheMockbuster incredibly cheap knockoffs]] of every Disney film of the era and released them on video around the same time the films had been in theaters for a while. They took advantage of the sad fact that some parents didn't realize the difference. "''The Little Mermaid'' is ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', right? It says so on the cover!"[[note]]The original story ''Literature/TheLittleMermaid'' is in the public domain, so Disney couldn't trademark it and prevent other studios from using the title, and the same goes for many of the other stories used by their films at the time - which may help explain why Disney increasingly turned towards original stories as the 90s and 2000s progressed and why they started giving their fairy-tale adaptations titles like ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}''.[[/note]] Fortunately, the majority of parents ''could'' tell the difference between the beloved Disney films and, say, [[http://www.imdb.com/media/rm915185408/tt0216882 this.]] Said films are still floating around out there and have proved to be a rich well of YouTubePoop. Creator/GoodTimesEntertainment counts itself among these companies; whenever a Disney movie hits theatres or video, [=GoodTimes=] is there with a based-on-the-same-public-domain-property direct-to-video cartoon.
** Bonus points go the one company that also shamelessly based their logo off the Creator/WarnerBros shield.
* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'':
** [[http://www.disneylies.com/films/animated/shrek.shtml This parody site]] claims that this movie, as well as ''WesternAnimation/IceAge'' and ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' are Disney films.
** Since Disney signed a distribution agreement with [=DreamWorks=] in 2009, they've screened ''Shrek'' on The Disney Channel several times in some markets. Understandably, this has raised a lot of confusion for those who know the differences between [=DreamWorks=], Disney and Pixar. The agreement expired in late 2016 though, and while [=DreamWorks=] did not renew it, their new parent company Creator/{{NBCUniversal}} would sign a contract that led to the films appearing on the '''U.S. feed.'''
** In the book ''I Am Malala'', Malala Yousafzai mentions at one point watching Disney movies while recovering from her injuries, specifically the first three ''Shrek'' films and ''[[WesternAnimation/SharkTale "A Shark's Tale"]]''. Justified, as Pakistani have a very narrow perception of Western culture, including animation, thus any major film is perceived as "Disney". Additionally, Pakistan could very well be covered under Disney’s abovementioned deal with [=DreamWorks=] In Asia.
** In this [[https://books.google.com/books?id=ozM7RVR38gAC&pg=PA81&lpg=PA81&dq=disney+shrek+macarena&source=bl&ots=ZdbxzHUXGW&sig=3ycgbv9DSI1PljGYKceU0qzsRSY&hl=en-US&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=disney%20shrek%20macarena&f=false book]] about Latin dance, there is a reference to "2001 Disney Shrek film", in a topic about the presence of the Macarena in the cinema.
** [[https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2016/04/108730/disney-princess-fiona-shrek This article]] calls Fiona a Franchise/DisneyPrincess.
** [[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/maccas-takes-out-pester-power-prize/2007/10/04/1191091281190.html This article]] about the 2007 Pester Power awards calls ''Shrek'' a Disney movie.
* The work of Creator/RichardRich, who made ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'' movies and ''WesternAnimation/TheKingAndI'', is often credited to Disney. Look closely during the ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' "Saturday TV Funhouse" sketch "Journey To the Disney Vault", and you might find some ''Swan Princess'' [=DVDs=] sitting in the eponymous Vault.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNutcrackerPrince''. Fans of this movie mistook most of the animation (save for the flashback sequences) as similar to the Disney era. It doesn't help that there's also a DisneyVillainDeath within this movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'' is another one that's frequently mistaken as a Disney film ''and'' as a Don Bluth film. It was in fact the product of the short-lived Creator/{{Amblimation}}, which would evolve into the 2D animation arm of [=DreamWorks=] (and was a semi-spinoff of Bluth's studio).
* ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'' was distributed by Creator/WarnerBros (and was originally going to have the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' as its cast), but many think it's Disney. It was in fact from Turner Feature Animation, a short-lived outgrowth of Hanna-Barbera created after Turner Broadcasting bought them.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Felidae}}'' is a 1994 animated film that had Disney-esque style but also showed cats getting decapitated, having sex, and being thrown around like puppets by a 90ft Gregor Mendel.
* El Tiempo newspaper, in a 1996 [[http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-371344 article]], referred to the German animation ''WesternAnimation/TheFearlessFour'' as if it were from Disney.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheWild'', made by C.O.R.E. Animation, is a weird case. Technically speaking, it ''is'' a Disney film in the sense that they distributed it and it even carries the Disney logo. However, this often leads to people thinking the film was made by Disney themselves. Make that mistake in front of hardcore Disney fans, and they'll eat you alive. Made even worse by the fact that in the UK, ''The Wild'' is featured as the 46th film in the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon, while the 39th film ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}'' is excluded.
* [[http://www.orangemedianetwork.com/forum/letters_to_the_editor/the-lorax-a-display-of-sexism-and-sizeism/article_effcf15d-a14e-5c37-914d-9cbf8a41320b.html A woman complaining about]] ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax2012'''s discrimination keeps mistaking it for Disney when it's really Illumination.
* Creator/RogerEbert's [[http://www.rogerebert.com/reviewsmonsters-vs-aliens-2009 otherwise flawless review]] of ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' has one instance of it being called a Disney film (it's actually [=DreamWorks=]).
* Music/BridgitMendler, who voiced the title character of the American dub of Creator/StudioGhibli's ''Anime/{{Arrietty}}'', refers to the film as a Disney movie in one of the bonus features on the DVD, since Disney commissioned the American dub.
* An increasing number of American consumers actually believe that Creator/StudioGhibli movies are owned by Disney, while Disney only had the rights to distribute some of the movies in North America. Some even go as far as to believe that Studio Ghibli is "the Japanese Disney".
** Certainly contributing to the confusion is the fact that ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' brought a cameo of Totoro, the iconic character of Studio Ghibli.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNTlmRtoUUA This video]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'' brings the warning: "Disclaimer: Rights belong to Disney and respective creators." And [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9DANKaarkc this video]] in Portuguese accuses supposed subliminal messages in this movie, claiming, when talking about the famous and controversial romantic scene between Chel and Tulio, to be a film made by Disney.
** [[https://www.theodysseyonline.com/why-road-el-dorado-isnt-appreciated-enough This article]] says "''Westernanimation/TheRoadToElDorado'' is the most underappreciated Disney movie".
* [[https://www.theodysseyonline.com/disney-animal-activist-disguise This article]] describes Disney as 'An Animal Rights Activist In Disguise', citing as examples ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'', ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' and... ''WesternAnimation/SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron'', which is from [=DreamWorks=].
* [[http://www.dvd-fan.com/the-croods-disney-dvd-wholesale.html This site]] offers "''WesternAnimation/TheCroods'' disney dvd wholesale". However, the director of the film is Creator/ChrisSanders, who also directed ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch''.
* Benedict Cumberbatch, speaking on the Graham Norton Show about his dubbing work on ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' ([=DreamWorks=]) [[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/penguins-of-madagascar-actor-benedict-cumberbatch-thinks-he-worked-on-a-disney-film-105013.html said]]: “Well, I’ve had a word with Disney. I need to check that I have said [penguin] correctly in the film.”
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYOSGt2q6c This video]] appoints "10 Disney KUNG FU PANDA Movie MISTAKES That Slipped Through Editing". In fact, ''Franchise/KungFuPanda'' is [=DreamWorks=].
* [[http://www.renaud-bray.com/movies_product.aspx?id=427145&def=Sinbad%3ALegend+of+the+seven+seas%2CDISNEY+WALT%2CDRMD90839012 This site]] sells the DVD of ''WesternAnimation/SinbadLegendOfTheSevenSeas'' ([=DreamWorks=]), indicating Walt Disney as 'Author'. And [[http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=14575&StepNum=1&award=aw this review]] of the movie begins with: 'High seas, swashbuckling adventure, a sassy stowaway and several giant gruesome creatures provide non-stop action in Disney's animated version of the Sinbad story.'
* [[http://www.indiaeducation.net/6-incredible-life-lessons-we-can-learn-from-famous-disney-movies-quotes.html This site]] lists "6 incredible life lessons we can learn from famous Disney movies quotes". The last quote is from [=DreamWorks'=] ''WesternAnimation/{{Megamind}}''.
* [[http://themurkynews.blogspot.com.br/2008/06/introduction-connecting-current-events.html This blog]] points to suppost sexual subliminal messages in Disney movies, including ''Westernanimation/OpenSeason'', made by Sony.
* [[https://youbabymemummy.com/lifestyle/delight-christmas-ballerina/ This site]] talks about the French-Canadian animation ''{{WesternAnimation/Ballerina}}'', as if it were made by Disney. In their defense, however, Disney ''did'' make an unrelated Danish live-action film by that name half a century before, for their anthology series.
* ''Franchise/DespicableMe'' is occasionally confused for a Disney film series, as the Creator/DisneyChannel once had a habit of playing the first film a [[AdoredByTheNetwork couple of times each month]].
** [[https://youtu.be/5YqHwUk2lmw A video]] depicts a family making homemade Minion-themed Twinkies. The video refers to the movie as a Disney movie, when it’s really an Illumination film.
* The first question that shows up on the Google results for ''WesternAnimation/SherlockGnomes'' is "Is ''Sherlock Gnomes'' a Disney movie?" The film is distributed by Paramount, but it's understandable considering that the [[WesternAnimation/GnomeoAndJuliet film it's a sequel to]] was distributed by Touchstone, a division of Disney.
* Aversion: With its 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, nobody would ever have (and for that matter, ''has'' ever) mistaken ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine'' as being a Disney product. King Features produced it and [[Creator/VargaStudio TVC London]] animated it. The success of ''Submarine'' prompted Disney to re-release ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' in early 1969 as "The ultimate sight and sound experience." Disney did have plans to make a motion-capture redeux of ''Submarine'' in 2012 with Robert Zemeckis directing it, but Disney yanked it after the Zemeckis-produced ''WesternAnimation/MarsNeedsMoms'' tanked.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/TheWindInTheWillows1996'' is mistaken as a Disney film because Disney distributed the film in the U.S. and also because it was released on home video as "''Mr. Toad's Wild Ride''", a name shared by a particularly famous Disneyland ride that was based off of their adaptation of the story.
* ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' is frequently mistaken to be Disney film because it's a 1960s fantasy musical that stars Creator/DickVanDyke, similar to ''Film/MaryPoppins'', and had songs written by Music/TheShermanBrothers, who wrote many famous Disney songs such as "It's A Small World" and the Winnie the Pooh theme.
** One TV station in UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, [=TV3=], actually aired ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' as one of the films on their ''Wonderful World of Disney'' movie slot a few years back. [[note]]To be fair, Creator/UnitedArtists was probably aiming for this trope on purpose, by getting Creator/DickVanDyke and Music/TheShermanBrothers, fresh off Disney's production of Film/MaryPoppins, involved. WordOfGod states they even tried to recruit Julie Andrews, but she turned them down.[[/note]]
** The Goldo song "Boom Da Boom", which is about Disney characters, mentions ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''.
** [[http://youtu.be/YqP89zVmItk Behold]], a clueless ride operator refits a [[WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011 Pooh]] [[TheKiddieRide kiddie ride]] with a music box that plays the ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' theme.
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] and [[InvokedTrope invoked]] live-action instance: at the 2010 Disney shareholder meeting (the first such meeting after Disney's purchase of Creator/MarvelComics) Disney highlighted ''Film/IronMan2'' in their "upcoming films" montage. When asked why, as the film was being distributed by Creator/{{Paramount}}, Disney CEO Bob Iger responded with "It's not our movie, but it's our character." Disney would later buy out Paramount's distribution rights to the film and the other MCU films Par released.
** Disney took a similar approach towards Creator/{{Sony}}'s ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries''. Although they didn't make or own the series, they ''did'' own the series' merchandise rights - as such, it was a common sight between mid 2012 and early 2015 to see merchandise of Creator/AndrewGarfield's Spider-Man being sold in Disney Stores and on [=shopDisney.com=] alongside Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse merchandise, and they even showed the trailer for ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' in their stores with other Disney films in 2014. Even following Spider-Man's incorporation into the [=MCU=], Disney has continued to take this approach with other Sony-made Spidey films like ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' and their [[Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse Spider-Man Universe]].
* [[https://www.facebook.com/DisneyLive/posts/701076049937526 This Facebook post]] had a comment asking Disney Live! to include ''Film/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'' in their shows. While Disney has owned the film rights to the Chipmunks since 2019 (and distributed the franchise on videocassette in the early-to-mid '90s), the overall rights to the characters are owned by Bagdasarian Productions.
* Occasionally you'll come across some naive person or group of people who have lumped ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' in with the Disney animated oeuvre. Nobody ever explicitly calls ''The Wizard of Oz'' a Disney film (it's well known that it was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and that Warner Brothers currently owns the rights to it), but school plays doing a salute to Disney will often include scenes from ''Oz'' alongside the likes of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. They must think the kids are stupid ("It's got fanciful characters and musical numbers, so it ''must'' be Disney!"), or else they might genuinely consider ''Oz'' a Disney film in all but name. On the other hand, Disney ''did'' a [[https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(Disney_Read-Along) storybook]] published in 1978 in book, vinyl and cassette formats, produce the sequel, ''Film/ReturnToOz'', as well as the "unofficial" prequel, ''Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful'', both of which are probably the root cause of this confusion. What may also add even more to the confusion is the fact that ''The Wizard of Oz'' was among the many films featured in ''Ride/TheGreatMovieRide'' (a former attraction at Walt Disney World), which was allowed due to a licensing agreement between Disney and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros. In 1954, Disney purchased the rights to thirteen Oz books.
** A notable example of this was the commentary track for ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'': after Jillian sings "Come out, come out, wherever you are..." [[spoiler: to try and find Rowan]], Paul Feig mentions that the joke cost several thousand dollars, because it was from "some Disney movie". Even [[WebVideo/RedLetterMedia Mr. Plinkett]] pointed out how clueless they were in his review of the movie as an example of how the director doesn't understand movies:
----> "You know that’s in '''your''' movie now, right? And you don’t even know what it’s from?"
* While ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'' is owned by Disney as of March 2019, it was made by [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]]. A character in ''[[Film/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family Values]]'' saying "It's Disney" ''just'' before ''The Sound of Music'' comes on undoubtedly contributes to the confusion. Also, the association with Creator/JulieAndrews (of ''Film/MaryPoppins'' fame) [[{{Typecasting}} in a similar role]], and just one year after ''Poppins'' no less, probably added to the confusion.
** In addition to "The Sound of Music", the very same episode used "The Brady Bunch" theme from Paramount 1969-74 series and "Tomorrow" from "Annie" (either Broadway musical or 1982 Columbia Pictures film).
* [[https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19751124.2.78&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 This newspaper article]] calls the Warner Brothers film ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'' a Disney film. It doesn't help matters that NBC aired the anthology series ''[[Series/WaltDisneyPresents The Wonderful World Of Disney]]'' at the time it was published.
* ''Film/StuartLittle'' also tends to get confused for a Disney movie from time to time. The film was made by Creator/ColumbiaPictures.
* 2018's ''Film/{{The Little Mermaid|2018}}'' caused some confusion. The [[Film/TheLittleMermaid2023 Disney live-action remake]] had been announced but hadn't even entered production at the time.
* ''Film/MotherGooseRockNRhyme'' is often mistaken for a Disney movie because it frequently aired on the Disney Channel in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and there's even been requests for the film to be added to Creator/DisneyPlus. However, despite airing on their channel, the rights are not owned by Disney, as the film was made by Hi-Tops Video (the kids arm of Media Home Entertainment), known for distributing VHS tapes of the ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' specials, ''Series/PeeWeesPlayhouse'', ''Series/BabySongs'', ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheRockersOutOfThisWorld'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTeddyRuxpin''. The film would later be owned by Lyrick Studios, who distributed ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'' and ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Other]]
* Among the many flaws of [[http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/02/01/100201sh_shouts_rudnick The New Yorker's]] satirization of ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'' and its darker, yet retro, reboot of Mickey, they call [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Porky Pig]] a Disney character.
* From the website "Letters of Note" comes [[http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/08/this-little-girl-has-her-walters.html this adorable exchange.]] In 1964, a girl who was a fan of WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker attempted to write a letter to his creator, Creator/WalterLantz, but addressed it to Walt Disney instead, who was nice enough to reply to the girl ''and'' forward it along. Disney seemed to anticipate this trope in his note to Lantz, joking, "I get blamed for everything that happens in Hollywood!" Another common mistake made by many people, given the similar first names and the fact that they both were involved in the animation industry (although Disney owned his own studios while Lantz worked for Universal).
* On March 22, 2011, Disney's [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] TV network presented a two-hour special titled "Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time", which presented the best moments or films in various categories. In the animation category, four of the choices were made by Walt Disney Pictures: 1. ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'', 3. ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', 4. ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' and 5. ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}''. Number 2? ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' -- made by Creator/{{Pixar}}, but nevertheless distributed by Disney, and Disney had owned Pixar since 2006.
* In a similar vein, this is committed in large part by the lists published by the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute. They do tend to have animated films appear on lists every so often, but most of those films are Disney. On their ''100 Years...'' series, Disney films appear in the low places like ''Passions'', ''Cheers'', and ''Musicals'', with two Disney films listed on the Top 100 overall (''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'' was #99, ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' was #29). This is amplified on their Top 10's when in the Animation Category, eight of the listed films were Disney and two were PIXAR, with ''Shrek'' at #8 the only non-Disney movie present.
** For their annual awards series (where they list the ten best films and TV programs of that year), the film section tends to list one animated film per year most years. From 2007-2010, and in 2003 and 2004, it was always a PIXAR film. By 2015, Animation returned with ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Zootopia}}'' the following year. The only non-Disney films to make that list are ''WesternAnimation/Shrek1'' (2001), ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'' (2006) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' (2009, shared with Disney/PIXAR's own ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}''.
* Looking up "Creator/DingoPictures" on Website/{{Wikipedia}} used to lead to the site saying "Did you mean ''Disney'' Pictures?" This is ''probably'' just the search software picking the closest match in the database, but given Dingo's [[TheMockbuster business model]] it's kind of apt, really. (Now, looking up "Dingo Pictures" on Wikipedia redirects to the article on "Mockbuster".) In the episode [[Recap/ICarlyS02Ep18ITakeOnDingo I Take On Dingo]] from Series/{{ICarly}}, Dingo Channel is a television channel clearly inspired by the Disney Channel.
* Inverted with the comic ''ComicBook/{{Blacksad}}'' - Guarnido, the illustrator, actually ''was'' a Disney animator, animating Hades in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', Sabor in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}}'', and Helga in ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', among other work, but the only evidence of this is in the characters' facial expressions. It might be because ''Blacksad'' is a gritty, violent, sexual, political noir comic (populated entirely by anthropomorphic animals, no less) and going for an entirely Disneyfied look wouldn't fit.
* [[http://mimitchi333.tumblr.com/image/30315764244 This picture from a tumblr blog]] shows ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' snowglobes being sold as "Disney Snowglobes".
* A screenwriting book called "Your Screenplay Sucks" called ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' a Disney film (it's actually [=DreamWorks=]). However, the author admitted later that it was a mistake [[http://yourscreenplaysucks.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/set-up-death/#comments here.]]
* One ESL worksheet uses Disney characters, but four of the characters – Snoopy, [[Creator/DCComics Superman]], [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield]], and [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry Tom the cat]]) – are not Disney! However, in the United States, ABC airs the ''Peanuts'' specials[[note]] (all but the most recent ones originally aired on CBS)[[/note]], ''Garfield and Friends'' reran on Toon Disney[[note]] (it also originally aired on CBS)[[/note]], ''Garfield Gets Real'' aired on Disney Channel Asia, and the second live-action Garfield movie aired on Disney Cinemagic Portugal.
* [[https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152301864684530&id=59526724529 This Facebook post]] calls [[Literature/TheCatInTheHat Thing 1 and Thing 2]] Disney characters.
* The common slang word for animation in Greece is "mickey mouses", since that's all they know of it.
* The freeware picture font [[http://www.dafont.com/disney-family-1.font Disney family 1]] includes [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Tweety]] in the capital ''A'' and lowercase ''a'' positions. From the same designer, [[http://www.dafont.com/pixar-family-2.font Pixar family 2]] includes Franchise/{{Shrek}} and WesternAnimation/{{Turbo}}, both of whom are [=DreamWorks=] characters (as well as Disney's WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph).
* Not even [=TweenComs=] and {{Kid Com}}s are safe from this. [[http://disney-channel-reviews.measuredup.com/Complaint-Disney-channel-new-show-1060435785 This complaint]] about Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''Series/HenryDanger'' calls it a Disney show.
* Mike Mozart's video on people who were arrested for file-sharing claimed that the Nickelodeon series ''Series/{{iCarly}}'' was made by Disney.
* When Music/{{Ashanti}} [[https://www.disboards.com/threads/ashanti-on-cnn-this-am.809064/ was interviewed on CNN]] in 2005 concerning her participation in an event at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Walt Disney World]], she said that her favorite Disney character was [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Daffy Duck]].
* In ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' Fat Charlie is stuck on an airplane full of tourists from Britain to Florida Disney World who sing all the songs from Disney animations, including "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" (which is actually from MGM's ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'').
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* Exploited in a rather famous experiment on false memories: People were shown fake ads for Disneyland that included WesternAnimation/BugsBunny (who belongs at Six Flags), and they ended up telling the researchers that they'd seen Bugs Bunny when they went to Disneyland as children. (Though they may have been confusing him with Roger Rabbit, who has a ride at Disneyland's Toon Town. Not helping matters is that ''Roger Rabbit'' actually was a huge cross-company collaboration project between Disney and WB which resulted in Bugs Bunny and the rest of the ''Looney Tunes'' characters appearing in the movie, which already caused tons of confusion in it's time).
* Not even the Disney Parks are safe from this. For guests who are still in diapers, a store at the Disneyland hotel sells Huggies diapers and wipes (justified, since they have Disney characters on them) and ''Franchise/CareBears'' baby wipes. This might seem nice, until you know that ''Care Bears'' isn't a Disney property, even though it aired on Disney Channel from the mid-1980s up through the mid-1990s, and it also appeared on Toon Disney.
* It is not unusual for the trope to be both played straight and {{inverted}} with regard to the theme parks themselves. Many a guest have lamented that "for some reason, Disney makes you buy a separate ticket to go to Universal", or ask "where is the [[Ride/TheWizardingWorldOfHarryPotter Harry Potter ride]]?", believing that [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Orlando Resort]] is a part of [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Walt Disney World]]. At the same time, many other guests, when planning out their vacation, will claim that they are going to Epcot Monday, and "to Disney" on Tuesday, apparently under the belief that only the Magic Kingdom is a Disney park, and the other three are their own entities.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'' ride at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disney California Adventure]] has Film/TheIncredibleMrLimpet as a background character, causing confusion; This is a nod to Limpet cameoing as a background character in "Under the Sea" in a crowd shot.
* [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2962916/Osceola-County-cops-flock-autistic-boy-s-birthday-party-mom-Ashlee-Buratti-revealed-none-classmates-turned-up.html This news story]] misidentifies Universal Studios as Disney World.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Web Original]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ktuCFcdOjw This Disney alphabet video]] features the word "Zebra" for the letter Z. The picture shown? Marty from ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'', which is not a Disney movie, but rather a {{Creator/DreamWorks|Animation}} movie. The person who made this even admitted they knew ''Madagascar'' wasn't Disney, but they possibly put in the picture in there because there weren't many pictures of Disney zebras on the internet.
* The "If Black People Owned Disney" videos are a big offender of this trope. Not only do they show clips of ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe1'' (an Illumination film), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS2EmIuuz_s but one of them]] claims that ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' was owned by Disney, despite the fact that it airs on Nickelodeon. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQj1bSin5k8 Another one]] shows clips from ''Series/BarneyAndFriends'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', and even some Creator/DreamWorksAnimation movies (like ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}''), even though they weren't made by Disney. Either these people are clueless, or they generalize kids' stuff as "Disney" products
* [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_264_20-r-rated-versions-classic-disney-movies/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=new+article&wa_ibsrc=fanpage This]] ''Website/{{Cracked}}'' contest asked contestants to create R-rated versions of classic Disney movies. Weighing in at number 2 is ''WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}}'', which as mentioned above, was a Don Bluth movie (distributed by 20th Century Fox - although, with Disney's purchase of Fox, they ''do'' own the rights to the movie).
* An accidental example: in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEqFAN6wPQ0 LEMMiNO's top 10 list on Disney facts]], he talks about the original names of WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, WesternAnimation/{{Goofy}}, and... WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry. Like the zebra example above, [=LEMMiNO=] admitted he knew that ''Tom and Jerry'' wasn’t a Disney property, he just accidentally missed the main subject matter.
* [[https://ogn.theonion.com/kingdom-hearts-iii-dlc-developers-panicking-after-rea-1841186257 This article]] from the Onion has fun with the idea by claiming that the developers of [=DLC=] for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' were sent into a panic after incorporating numerous elements from the ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'' franchise before realizing it was owned by Creator/{{DreamWorks|Animation}} and not Disney. The article ends by claiming they resolved the problem by buying out [=DreamWorks=] Pictures and all associated properties.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Toys]]
* Many people believe that ''Toys/TeddyRuxpin'' was made by Disney, with several listings on Mercari saying the brand of the toy is "Disney". While the creator, Ken Forsse, did formerly work for Disney and voice actors Will Ryan and Phil Baron did several Disney-related works, the toy was made by Alchemy II and Worlds of Wonder. It doesn't help that Worlds of Wonder would later create a Mickey Mouse toy that was similar to Teddy Ruxpin.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* The TropeNamer is obvious. Got its start during MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation, and it only got worse from there...
** It could probably be traced back to all of the ''WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies'' clones that just about every animation studio was producing in the 1930's, to cash in on the success of Disney's shorts. Most of the time you could hardly tell the difference between them enough to realize which studio was producing it.
** Also, up until Don Bluth launched his own studio in 1980, Disney had very little competition in the realm of feature-length animation (Creator/RalphBakshi does ''not'' count), so two whole generations grew up in a time where virtually all animated movies ''were'' Disney.
* The Disney parody in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Road to the Multiverse" is sometimes believed by others that it WAS made by Disney due to realistically mimicking the animation style and throwing in some Disney references (such as a musical sequence about pies, making Brian and Stewie look cute, Lois like a princess, Adam West as a mouse, etc.) But to be fair, this sequence was outsourced to a smaller, lesser-known animation studio (it wasn't even animated in South Korea like the show usually is.)
** The fact that Disney now owns the rights to the parody as a result of their acquisition of Fox makes it HilariousInHindsight.
* An Iranian scholar ranting about how ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' is part of a "Jewish conspiracy" repeatedly says that ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' is a "creation by Creator/WaltDisney", which only further discredits his already-ridiculous argument.
* The 1936 [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer ]] cartoon ''Somewhere In Dreamland'' was strangely aired as a short in the 1990s Creator/DisneyChannel animation compilation show ''Donald's Quack Attack'', and because of this is sometimes called a Disney cartoon.
* A possibly apocryphal tale states that [[Creator/WarnerBros Jack Warner]], famously clueless with regards to his own animation house, once said this: "All I know is that we make WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse." If it's true, then it goes a long way to explaining how the "Termite Terrace" gang were able to get away with so much.
* Nicely inverted by a story from Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer. When Creator/GeneKelly was making ''Anchors Aweigh'' (1945), he suggested that he could perform a dancing duet with Mickey. His producers reportedly looked dubious and asked, "And what's wrong with our [[WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry Jerry]]?" And Jerry it became.
** The story exists in several variant forms. In some versions, Kelly wanted to use WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck (in keeping with the film's nautical theme) rather than Mickey; in one version, Kelly's producers at MGM were willing, until [[Creator/HannaBarbera William Hanna and Joseph Barbera]] heard about it and persuaded them to use Jerry; in another version, Creator/WaltDisney refused to loan Mickey out; in still another (thought to be the most likely) version, Walt was willing, but his brother Roy pointed out that their studio was in debt at the time and could not afford "to be making cartoons for other people."
* ''WesternAnimation/DisneySingAlongSongs'' potentially invoked this trope on a Christmas-themed video. Apparently, they couldn't find any fitting Disney clips for the "WesternAnimation/{{Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer| 1948}}" segment, so instead they used public domain footage from Max Fleischer's AnimatedAdaptation. This might be the result of the fact that Disney did distribute Fleischer cartoons on home video in the 1980s. Disney must have taken advantage of the fact the cartoons were public domain and released them for their own profit. This becomes especially amusing if you can recall that Walt Disney and the Fleischer Brothers considered themselves rivals during MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation.
* [[https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090811165844AA9CWHE This Yahoo! Answers inquiry]] questions if there are any ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' rides at Ride/DisneyThemeParks.
** A bootleg DVD of the series from China came in a cardboard sleeve with the Disney logo on it, amongst 25 or so different logos, of which only four were correct (Nickelodeon, Viacom, Paramount and MTV[[note]] which aired the show in the mid-2000's to keep up with its popularity with teenagers[[/note]]).
* [[https://www.amazon.com/Disney-Toddler-Preschool-Purse-Patrol/dp/B07BFH3WB6/ref=pd_sbs_21_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BFH3WB6&pd_rd_r=3ec7f260-fca3-11e8-9351-dfeda2c47fcc&pd_rd_w=dzDBL&pd_rd_wg=r5v2A&pf_rd_p=7d5d9c3c-5e01-44ac-97fd-261afd40b865&pf_rd_r=RZWEAA6VS9RDRRHEY15M&refRID=RZWEAA6VS9RDRRHEY15M&th=1 An Amazon listing for a piece of merchandise based on]] ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'' calls it Disney, when it actually airs on Creator/NickJr and was created by TV Ontario.
** [[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/461689399294075868/ This Pinterest pin]] says that the show was created by [[Creator/{{Pixar}} Disney Pixar]], when the Nickelodeon logo used for the US licensing of the show is clearly visible in the image.
* This often tends to happen if Creator/DisneyChannel imports a show from another country and airs it on their channel, with people often claiming Disney made the show when that's not the case. ''Series/UnderTheUmbrellaTree'', ''WesternAnimation/RoliePolieOlie'' (These two are Canadian shows made for Creator/{{CBC}}. To add even more confusion, Disney distributed merchandise and [=DVDs=] of ''Rolie Polie Olie'' under their name until they lost the rights, though as of 2021, the show is now on Creator/DisneyPlus.), ''WesternAnimation/TheKoalaBrothers'' (a show from Australia's [[Creator/AustralianBroadcastingCorporation [=ABC4Kids=]]] block, not to be confused with former the American ABC Kids [[SaturdayMorningCartoon Saturday morning block]]) ''WesternAnimation/TheOctonauts'', ''WesternAnimation/KateAndMimMim'' (both of these are originally from Creator/{{CBeebies}}), ''WesternAnimation/PJMasks'' (made by Creator/EntertainmentOne, the same company behind ''WesternAnimation/PeppaPig'', and is currently owned by Creator/{{Hasbro}}) and ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'' (much like ''Koala Brothers'' above, it originated on [=ABC4Kids=] and is distributed by Creator/TheBBC).
* [[https://www.ebay.com/p/Dragon-Tales-Emmys-Dream-House-by-RH-Disney-Staff-2000-Hardcover/1634914 A listing]] on [=eBay=] for a storybook adapting an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'' called it a Disney show. The series was actually made by Creator/SesameWorkshop together with Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision and aired on Creator/PBSKids.
* One Amazon [[https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1BBEISHQ9IXKT/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07JDMNTGF review]] of ''WesternAnimation/ButterbeansCafe'' was under the impression that it was a Disney show, when it airs on Creator/NickJr, not Disney Junior.
* [[https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/07/31/ltbtq-representation-growing-childrens-television/1875892001/wfzz This article]] says ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is a Disney show. That's not true; it aired on Creator/DiscoveryFamily. However, it does air on Disney Channel in Spain, France and Japan.
* Disney Channel airs ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' in Japan because they no longer have a dedicated Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} feed. Viacom and [=DreamWorks=] worked out a deal with Disney where Disney would air the show in that one country only. Understandably, tourists who've seen the Japanese merchandise are perplexed by the presence of the Disney Channel logo.
* [[https://nypost.com/2020/12/12/this-6-year-old-racked-up-over-16k-on-his-moms-credit-card/amp/ This article]] has a copyright notice claiming the image of Sonic from ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' is owned by Creator/DisneyChannel. To be fair, reruns of [[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog its sister series]] were aired on Creator/ToonDisney for several years.
* [[https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m97026356521/?gclsrc=aw.ds&wbraid=CjoKCAjwn6GGBhB3EioAtk7wFcVcgGgeOzEQfXk-VJKmIBOVHhstdqRG9y-ivMMfARkElfDcGNsaAjzR&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12877497088&utm_content=t0&adgroup=121903074456&network=ytv&device=m&merchant_id=368622021&product_id=m97026356521&product_id=696733477812&wbraid=CjoKCAjwn6GGBhB3EioAtk7wFcVcgGgeOzEQfXk-VJKmIBOVHhstdqRG9y-ivMMfARkElfDcGNsaAjzR&adlclid=ADL-560b0e5e-61df-4f8e-be89-10e8d18b0833 This listing]] for a ''WesternAnimation/BluesCluesAndYou'' plush calls it a Disney show. It's from Nickelodeon, not Disney.
* In Latin America, ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' is commonly believed to be made by Disney due to it airing on Jetix and Disney XD, although they didn't air anything beyond the first half of season 5. This is because of Nelvana holding the rights of those seasons (they still hold the rights as of today), as further seasons were aired by Nickelodeon in Latin American countries.
* A [[https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803461413600.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US listing]] for ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' action figures calls it "Disney". Ben 10 is a Cartoon Network show, not a Disney show.
* [[https://www.vanimations.com/animation-techniques-the-smear/ This article about smear frames]] refers to ''WesternAnimation/TheDoverBoys'' as a Disney cartoon. It was actually a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon. Bizarrely, the article later identifies Creator/WarnerBros as the studio (which is correct). It's possible that the author of the article found out too late and forgot to correct their mistake earlier into the post.
* During the Perestroika era, many pieces of foreign media were being imported over to the USSR. The most well-known of these were Disney features, and as a result, just about any non-Disney cartoon such as 'WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry', 'WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes', and even 'WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981' were labelled as Disney by Soviet people.
[[/folder]]
!!Works mistaken for something else than Disney:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater'' never adapted ''Literature/AdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'', but that doesn't prevent many people from thinking ''Huckleberry no Bōken'' (1976) and ''Huckleberry Finn Monogatari'' (1994) were part of it. Doesn't help that those were made in the same timeframe as ''World Masterpiece Theater'' series and had some similar animation (the main character looks markedly different compared to his counterpart in WMT's version of ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfTomSawyer'', that said).
* ''Manga/FairyTail'' is often mistaken as a Magazine/ShonenJump manga. It's published in Magazine/ShonenMagazine. Not only are there people demanding ''[=FT=]'' characters to appear in Jump crossover video games, there's even fanart of "Jump heroes", including [[Franchise/DragonBall Goku]], [[Franchise/OnePiece Luffy]], {{Franchise/Naruto}}, [[{{Franchise/Bleach}} Ichigo]] and… Natsu (a main character of ''[=FT=]'').
* [=IMDb=] claims that ''Anime/MagicalPrincessMinkyMomo'' is related to ''Anime/CreamyMamiTheMagicAngel''. This might be due to the crossover short that promoted the release of the [=OAVs=] of those shows, but besides that, the two series have no relation to each other.
* ''Literature/KokoroConnect'' can be easily mistaken as a production by Creator/KyotoAnimation, as the studio's employee Yukiko Horiguchi worked as the illustrator of the light novel.
* Anime fans who were too young (or weren't even born) when ''Anime/SailorMoon'' first aired in the USA often blame [[Creator/FourKidsEntertainment 4Kids]] instead of Creator/{{DiC|Entertainment}}, because they associate ''all'' obtrusive editing and censorship with the now-defunct company.
** They'll furthermore use these shows to bash [[{{Eagleland}} America]] in general, despite the facts that (1) American fans often led the charges against these shows and pushed hard for uncensored releases, and (2) Some censored anime – like the aforementioned ''Sailor Moon'' and Nelvana's ''[[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Cardcaptors]]'' – were made by Canadians. It's also worth noting that edited versions like these have also been made outside North America; for example, ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'''s [[https://imgur.com/a/MHsha German TV edit]][[note]]Later broadcasts are uncensored[[/note]] as well as anything made after 2000 by Venus Centre (Al-Zuhra) for the Arabic-language channel Creator/{{Spacetoon}}.
* Shorts HD, a premium channel dedicated to short films technically calls ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'' a Creator/{{Funimation}} anime when acquired the broadcasting rights for the said anime and Creator/SentaiFilmworks has the licensing rights. Shorts HD does have the broadcasting rights for most of the title [=FUNimation=] licensed.
* Some people think the ''Manga/FireForce'' anime was created by Creator/KyotoAnimation when it's actually by David Production. It doesn't help matters that one episode of the first season had to be changed [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents due to a tragedy at the studio in question.]]
* Some Mercari listings for ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'' merchandise claim that it's a Creator/{{NHK}} show, since the majority of Japanese [[PreschoolShow preschool shows]] air on that network. The channel it actually airs on is Nippon TV.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Eastern-European Animation]]
* Many people in post-UsefulNotes/{{Soviet|Russia Ukraine And So On}} countries believe that all Soviet animation is Creator/{{Soyuzmultfilm}}. Of course, world's biggest country could not have just one animation studio, there were also Artistical Joint "Ekran", in fame of ''Animation/LeopoldTheCat'', ''Animation/PlasticineCrow'', ''Animation/LastYearsSnowWasFalling'' etc., Kievnauchfilm, which made the ''Animation/{{Cossacks}}'' series, ''Animation/AdventuresOfCaptainVrungel'', ''Animation/TreasureIsland1988'' etc., [[Animation/ArmenFilmAnimatedShorts Armenfilm]] - you know, that Armenfilm where [[MindScrew Robert Sahakyants]] worked, and others.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Movies from Creator/BlueSkyStudios, Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation[[note]]with the exceptions of ''WesternAnimation/ThePeanutsMovie'' and the ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManSpiderVerse'' series (due to Sony's iron grip on the Franchise/SpiderMan brand), respectively[[/note]] or Creator/IlluminationEntertainment are extremely likely to be mistaken for each other, since the vast majority of their filmography are quite similar in terms of writing, comedy and visuals.
* All Family-Oriented Anime films are Creator/StudioGhibli.
** This trope in turn has its own subtrope: All Creator/StudioGhibli Is Creator/HayaoMiyazaki. Creator/IsaoTakahata made ''Anime/GraveOfTheFireflies'', ''Anime/OnlyYesterday'', ''Anime/PomPoko'', ''Anime/MyNeighborsTheYamadas'' and ''Anime/TheTaleOfThePrincessKaguya'', while a wide array of other directors made movies like ''Anime/FromUpOnPoppyHill'' and ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart''. However, Miyazaki does have screenwriting credits for ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart'', ''Anime/{{Arrietty}}'' and ''From Up on Poppy Hill''.
** Some people think some pre-Ghibli Miyazaki works were made by Studio Ghibli when they predate the studio itself, with the most common victims being ''Anime/PandaGoPanda'' and ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro''. It doesn't help that Donguri Kyowakoku, the official Studio Ghibli retail store, [[https://soranews24.com/2021/05/23/studio-ghibli-makes-us-hungry-for-new-plate-collection-featuring-iconic-characters-in-mid-meal/ sometimes sells merchandise]] of the former movie in their stores.
* All Computer Animation is Creator/{{Pixar}} or Creator/{{DreamWorks|Animation}}.
** This came in full circle and bit Disney in the behind, because now when Disney makes CG movies independently of Pixar, people still assume it was Pixar. Doesn't help that the new renaissance of the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon that started with ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' was kicked off after well known Pixar veteran Creator/JohnLasseter became CCO of Disney's animation studios.
*** ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' was the first to fall under this as it was the first non-Pixar computer animated film from them.
*** ''WesternAnimation/{{Paperman}}'' fell under this hard when the award-winning short was uploaded to Website/YouTube for a limited time, with several viewers insisting only Pixar could have produced the short. Many attempted to correct this mistake and were widely ignored.
*** ''WesternAnimation/InnerWorkings'', because of the stylised artstyle, the ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''-esque premise, and the fact that the main character looks like [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} Carl]], is frequently mistaken for Pixar's work.
*** ''WesternAnimation/StrangeWorld'' has very "chunky," bulbous character designs that make it look similar to ''WesternAnimation/{{Soul}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Luca}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', resulting in it being mistaken for a Pixar movie. ''Strange World'' was actually made by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
** Whoever created ''[[http://www.webneel.com/20-award-winning-pixar-3d-short-films-your-inspiration this list]]'' is a prime example. The list consists of eleven actual Pixar shorts, test footage for ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' (which is nevertheless related), seven independent short films (including Blender's ''WesternAnimation/BigBuckBunny'') and... the teaser trailer for ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2''.
** Although otherwise very accurate in its behind-the-scenes information, [[http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2013/04/7-disney-princesses-who-never.html this article from Glamour]] also calls ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' a Pixar film, as does Charlie Brooker in Creator/Channel4's ''How Videogames Changed the World''.
** And [[http://www.blakevaughn.com/?p=264 this review]] of ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' says that ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'' was produced by Pixar, prior to its acquisition by Disney.
** [[{{Creator/Disney}} DisneyToon Studios']] ''WesternAnimation/{{Planes}}'' is often confused as a Pixar movie due to being set in the same universe as ''Franchise/{{Cars}}''. However, John Lasseter is the executive producer of the film and is responsible for the concept.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjaecR8I1iY This video showcasing horrendous movie ripoffs]] calls ''WesternAnimation/BeeMovie'' a Pixar film.
** An officially-licensed ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'' 2017 wall calendar made by [=DayDream=] carried a copyright notice for "Disney/Pixar", despite Disney making the film themselves without any involvement from Pixar.
* Bootleg video tapes of ''WesternAnimation/RockAndRule'' distributed at comic book conventions incorrectly claimed it was directed by Creator/RalphBakshi, when it actually was made by Creator/{{Nelvana}} in Canada, apparently because Bakshi was the only well-known creator of adult-oriented animation in The80s, despite ''Rock & Rule'' having nothing in common with his style.
* Spill.com's review for ''WesternAnimation/IceAgeDawnOfTheDinosaurs'' listed the distributor as Universal Studios, not 20th Century Fox or Creator/BlueSkyStudios, who are actually the ones responsible.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMutantMayhem'' is often mistaken for a Paramount Animation production, since it's findable on their website. In truth, they actually had no involvement in the film at all.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie'' is often mistaken for a Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation production since two of the studio's [[Creator/ColumbiaPictures sister]] [[Creator/SonyPicturesImageworks companies]] were both involved with the film (it was actually mainly produced by original ''Franchise/AngryBirds'' creators Creator/RovioEntertainment via their Rovio Animation division), and the humor and character designs are similar to those found in some of their other films. The [[WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie2 sequel]] averts this thanks to Rovio and SPA jointly producing it. This also applies to ''WesternAnimation/{{Storks}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Smallfoot}}'' (which were both produced by the [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Animation Group]]) for three of the same reasons.
* Creator/{{Laika}} seems to be having issues with "All Macabre/Horror-Themed StopMotion Animation is Creator/TimBurton" in the wake of ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/ParaNorman''. It also doesn't help that the advertisements for the former said "From the director of ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''", which led people to believe that they were Tim Burton movies, even though Burton wasn't the director of ''Nightmare Before Christmas'' -- he was the producer, Creator/HenrySelick directed.
** Especially since ''[=ParaNorman=]'' came around the same time as ''WesternAnimation/{{Frankenweenie}}'', which was an actual horror-themed stop-motion animated film directed by Tim Burton.
** Their distributors are likely doing this on purpose. Look on the DVD case for ''Coraline'' and try to spot Henry Selick's name ''anywhere''. It's buried in those super-skinny all-caps credits on the back that nobody bothers to read.
* Advertising for the film ''WesternAnimation/OnceUponAForest'' seemed to hope that audiences would mistake it for a Don Bluth film by saying it was "From the creator of ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail''" (the film was produced by David Kirschner, who came up with the concept of the latter film). It fooled many, but didn't do much to help its box office take. It being 1993, well after Bluth's fall from grace, it was perhaps too late for this ploy to work anyway.
** Some people are unaware that Don Bluth had no involvement in ''[[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest Fievel Goes West]]''.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Balto}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/WereBackADinosaursStory'' are also often mistaken for Don Bluth films, in no small part for being Universal productions (which also distributed Bluth's more beloved works) and actual similarities in character design.
** This [[http://www.ldsliving.com/8-Iconic-Disney-Characters-You-Didn-t-Know-Were-Drawn-by-a-Mormon/s/84714 site]] says ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'' is a Don Bluth film.
** The author of [[https://mellon-snow.deviantart.com/art/Prince-Nutcracker-373177269 this fanart]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheNutcrackerPrince'' thought this was a Don Bluth film.
** Indeed, "All Non-Disney 2D Animation is Don Bluth" could be considered a subtrope.
** The 2D animated films from Creator/AFilm, such as ''WesternAnimation/HelpImAFish'', are occasionally mistaken for Don Bluth pictures, since their character designs are pretty obviously inspired by his work.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Igor}}'' tends to be mistaken for a [=DreamWorks=] film because of its design and humor.
* Some sellers of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' merchandise call it a [=DreamWorks=] film.
** A "related article" that appears as a sort of ad on some websites had the heading "Get To See The Inside Out [=DreamWorks=] Didn't Want You To Know".
* [[http://www.cracked.com/article_19796_6-disturbing-unanswered-questions-from-childrens-movies.html?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=NV&utm_campaign=NV This Cracked.com list article]] calls ''WesternAnimation/{{Rio}}'' a [=DreamWorks=] film. Evidently all Disney-esque animation that isn't Disney is [=DreamWorks=].
* One [[WMG/PoisonOakEpilepticTreesArchive Wild Mass Guess]] of ''WesternAnimation/{{Robots}}'' calls it a [=DreamWorks=] film.
* [[https://twitter.com/DailyNickNews/status/1274087870509330434?s=20 Target's website]] claims that Dreamworks' ''WesternAnimation/{{Trolls}}'' was created by Nickelodeon. They also did the same thing with ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* Some people think that ''Film/DaddyDayCare'' was made by Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} due to the film featuring ProductPlacement for several Nickelodeon properties. It's actually made by Creator/ColumbiaPictures.
* Just as all animation is Disney, All British Horror Is Film/HammerHorror. Hammer's main rival Creator/AmicusProductions in particular gets this a lot. That both studio shared some actors and actresses such as Creator/IngridPitt didn't help.
** Similarly, with comedies, all British comedies made in the 1950s are Creator/EalingStudios. Particularly the films of Creator/AlecGuinness not made there like ''Father Brown'', but also many of the films of Alastair Sim, who only made one true Creator/{{Ealing}} Comedy - ''Hue and Cry'', but appeared in many films in the same vein from Launder and Gilliat. Perhaps also owes to the fact that ''Film/TheLadykillers1955'' was intended as a vehicle for Sim, and Guinness deliberately modelled his performance on Sim, to the point that a Mandela Effect has occurred, with people believing it a Sim movie.
* Some tend to think that all Japanese samurai films are Creator/AkiraKurosawa. One of the most acclaimed films of the genre, ''Film/{{Harakiri}}'', is actually by Masaki Kobayashi.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* Many people think that all Bright and Early and Beginner books are Creator/DrSeuss because Literature/TheCatInTheHat is on the logo for both of these series. The most common victims of this ''Are You My Mother?'', ''Go, Dog, Go!'' and ''Put Me In The Zoo''.
* No, not all [[Main/GameBook gamebooks]] are ''Literature/ChooseYourOwnAdventure'' books; that's just the most successful gamebook series. The confusion is widespread enough, though, that even the [=TVTropes=] pages have banners at the top clearing things up.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Many people who live outside of Canada assume that all Canadian {{Kid Com}}s are produced by Creator/{{YTV}} due to their huge slate of live-action original programming, when other networks in the country also create these types of programs as well.
* There was once a perception since ''Series/TheSopranos'' that all prestige series/miniseries was from Creator/{{HBO}} ([[Series/MadMen sorry]] Creator/{{AMC}}). Though is much less a thing since Creator/{{Netflix}} threw its hat in that game.
* Many assume all UsefulNotes/{{Ital|y}}ian prestige television (and {{biopic}} movies) is made by Paolo Sorrentino.
* Due to his huge popularity, many people assume any nature documentary with a British-sounding narrator is by Creator/DavidAttenborough.
* Due to his huge influence before his departure, many people assume any Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} {{Kid Com}} is made by Creator/DanSchneider when in fact a lot of them (Ned's Declassified, The Thundermans, etc) are made by other people.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Any form of classical music will often be attributed to Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart regardless of the time period or style in which it was written. Music/LudwigVanBeethoven and Music/JohannSebastianBach are possible exceptions given that they are the other two most famous composers, but even they are prone to being misattributed onto other works.
* Pretty much anything in the 1960s soul music genre will tend to get misattributed to Creator/{{Motown}}. Possible exceptions are Music/RayCharles and Music/JamesBrown, both of whom were well established before Motown appeared on the scene, but the likes of Music/ArethaFranklin and the entire Music/PhilSpector stable will almost invariably be misidentified as Motown by the general public.
* French HardcoreHipHop of The90s will very often be attributed solely to Music/SupremeNTM. There's a belief that they participated to the soundtrack of ''Film/LaHaine'', but the only thing from them in it is a lyric of [=JoeyStarr=] (which amounts to "Fuck the Police!") that was {{sampl|ing}}ed by DJ Cut Killer.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* All professional wrestling is Wrestling/{{WWE}}, due to that company's domination of the market for decades. The last major competitor to WWE, Wrestling/{{WCW}}, went defunct in 2001.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* It's common for many people to assume all plays written during the Renaissance are written by Creator/WilliamShakespeare. It's quite common for people to assume ONLY Shakespeare wrote plays in England at the time. There are many other playwrights at the time such as Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe, and John Fletcher.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* Many newcomers thought ''VideoGame/AnimalJam'' is created by the National Geographic Society, thanks to the game using to be under the brand. Creator/WildWorks created the game; they just had National Geographic to partner with them. This has died down after National Geographic ended their partnership in 2018 and thus the branding was removed.
* All Video Games are Creator/{{Nintendo}}: Much like Disney to animation, Nintendo reigns as the king of video games, especially kid-friendly ones, so it's not uncommon to mistake a usually kid-oriented game as Nintendo:
** Some people think that ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' is created by Nintendo, due to most of its games following a cartoony and colorful design akin to that of Nintendo, Sonic's status as one of the most famous video game characters (something that many Nintendo characters share), later games appearing on Nintendo consoles (the Platform/WiiU's eshop even had a dedicated section for Sonic games), and ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames''. Sonic is created by Creator/{{Sega}}, which has plenty of M-rated games up its belt.
** One editor on the Disney Wiki reckoned that all cameos in ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' movie are either Creator/{{Disney}} or Creator/{{Nintendo}}. They even gave among the "Nintendo" examples, VideoGame/PacMan and VideoGame/DigDug -- both of which are Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment. This edit also ignored the VideoGame/{{Qix}} (Taito) and VideoGame/QBert (Gottleib), amongst other decidedly not-Nintendo examples. Even better is the fact that Sonic and Dr. Eggman are from [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog a series]] made by [[Creator/{{Sega}} a former competitor]] of Nintendo's and never appeared on a Nintendo console until the early '00s.
** Brazilian Preacher Josue Yrion refers to video games as "Nintendos". This includes games such as ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'', ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}''. The only aversion is in his infamous quote "Nintendos, Segas, Super Nintendos, [=PlayStations=], whatever."
** Several iconic video game franchises initially got their start on the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem including ''Franchise/MegaMan'', ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'', ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' which has contributed to a strong association with Nintendo.
* Any game that is played through a web browser is almost unanimously referred to as a "[[MediaNotes/AdobeFlash Flash]] game". While it's true that many browser games are Flash-based, plenty of other games are written in programs such as [=JavaScript=], Canvas, [=WebGL=], and [=WebAssembly=]. That, and Flash largely stopped being used as a gaming platform outside of archival purposes around 2015 in favor of [=HTML5=]-based ones that were less resource heavy. Flash itself also ended support in 2020, with most browsers blocking anything Flash-based by default, if not removing their dedicated Flash players altogether.
* [[https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/behold-the-dumbest-video-game-controversy-yet/?amp During a controversy over the “fatty, fatty, no parents” line]] from ''VideoGame/Portal2'', the television station reporting the story complained to Creator/{{Sony}} because the game was being played on a Platform/PlayStation3. When Sony explained they had nothing to do with the game and tried to direct them to Valve (the developer) instead, they accused them of trying to evade scrutiny.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* All Slapstick/Cartoony Animation is Creator/WarnerBros: Works like ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'', ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'' and ''WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons'' in particular were hit hard with this in the 1940s (and then again in the 1990s when "classic" cartoon characters became popular again). This has become something of a moot point, though, since Warner Bros.' purchase of Turner Entertainment in the early 1990s gave them the rights to the "classic" cartoons done by [[Creator/MetroGoldwynMayer MGM]] and Creator/HannaBarbera, as well all the ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' theatrical shorts from both [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Fleischer]] and Creator/FamousStudios so now only ''Most'' Slapstick/Cartoony Animation is (Owned by) Warner Bros.
** Speaking of Creator/HannaBarbera, it isn't rare to find someone who thinks ''WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther'' was created by them (the character was actually made by Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises, itself made up of former Warner Bros. employees.). It doesn't help that Hanna-Barbera has [[WesternAnimation/{{Snagglepuss}} their own pink feline character]], whom people frequently mistake for The Pink Panther and vice versa. Ironically, Hanna-Barbera co-produced the ''Pink Panther and Sons'' series.
* A surprisingly large number of people believe ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' to be either an American or at the very least Canadian invention, when in fact the series is French. This is largely due to the [[SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing exceptional English dub]] and the fact the series is set in Beverly Hills, which isn't the first thing that comes to most people's minds when they hear the phrase "French cartoon."
* [[http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=112554 On a [=ProTeacher=] thread about Halloween]], one user said this:
--> I like doing the Disney Characters for the younger grades! I am a big fan of the Belle and Snow White costumes!! Any of the characters from the Creator/CartoonNetwork are recognizable by the little ones too--''[[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants SpongeBob]]'', ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', etc.
** Ironically, ''Kim Possible'' is a Disney show.
* A Polish article at Tygodnik Przegląd about [[https://www.tygodnikprzeglad.pl/bp-bedzie-problem BP's problems]] also stated that [=SpongeBob=] aired on Cartoon Network. The show never aired on CN in Poland and before Nickelodeon launched in the country two years before the article was written, [=SpongeBob=] aired in Polish only for a brief time in 2004 on MTV with a VoiceoverTranslation).
* One bootleg DVD set of ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' said it was from Nickelodeon. ''Recess'' is also a Disney show, [[InvertedTrope once again inverting this trope]].
** Many people have also mistaken ''Recess'' to have been made by Creator/KlaskyCsupo. While ''Rugrats'' co-creator Paul Germain co-created the show with ''Rugrats'' writer Joe Ansolabehere, Klasky-Csupo itself had no part in making the show.
* Warner Home Video released ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian: The Complete Series'', a Creator/RubySpears production, and mistakenly implied the series was made by Creator/HannaBarbera. Ruby Spears was founded by screenwriters Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, creators of Franchise/{{ScoobyDoo}}. Thundarr had some characters designed by Creator/{{AlexToth}}, who had made the heroes of Hanna-Barbera, in addition, in 1981, Taft Broadcasting, the company that had bought Hanna-Barbera, also bought Ruby Spears.
** ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangface}}'' is often miscredited to Hanna-Barbera, when in fact the show was produced by Ruby Spears.
* ''WesternAnimation/MikeLuAndOg'' is sometimes mistaken for a Creator/KlaskyCsupo show. Probably because one of the creators worked on ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}''.
* ''WesternAnimation/BarneyBear'' is often mistaken for being created by Creator/TexAvery, probably due to the animation style being similar to the one used on ''WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons''.
* Because of [[Creator/DOconFilmsProductions D'Ocon]] working on the company's ''Pocket Dragon Adventures'', ''WesternAnimation/MagicAdventuresOfMumfie'' is sometimes mistaken for a [=DiC=] show.
** A comment on the intro to the 70's version of Mumfie asked where the Creator/DonBluth version was. Don Bluth didn't make Mumfie, Britt Allcroft did.
* Animation critic WebVideo/TheMysteriousMrEnter once claimed that Creator/HannaBarbera made ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''. It was actually made by Jay Ward Productions.
* [[https://twitter.com/TheMysteryofGF/status/638963119537131520 An FCC complaint]] accusing ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' (another Disney show) [[EveryoneIsSatanInHell of being "satanic"]] cited its network as Cartoon Network.
* [[http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/business-and-finance/succeeding-in-your-business/fan-fiction-robot-chicken-fair-use-and-copyright-laws.html This article]] on copyright laws refers to ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' as a "Nickelodeon Adult Swim" show.
* Outside of the United Kingdom, most people seem to think that "All Stop-Motion Children's Programmes Are Creator/CosgroveHall", due to them producing a large amount of programmes of that type. The original run of ''WesternAnimation/PostmanPat'' [[labelnote: *]] The later episodes would actually be produced by Cosgrove Hall when Woodland Animations went defunct in 2001[[/labelnote]] and ''WesternAnimation/TheWombles'' get hit with this the most, when they were actually made by Woodand Animations and [=FilmFair=].
* ''WesternAnimation/MaxAndRuby'', which airs on Creator/NickJr in the US and Creator/TreehouseTV in Canada, is often mistaken for a Creator/PBSKids show because the company who made it, Creator/{{Nelvana}}, has made several shows for the block including ''WesternAnimation/TheBerenstainBears'' and ''WesternAnimation/TimothyGoesToSchool'', with the latter being also based on a Rosemary Wells book. It doesn't help matters that in the mid-2000's, Play Along Toys had a preschool toyline called [[https://web.archive.org/web/20090305214014/http://playalongtoys.com/childguidance/index.aspx Child Guidance]], which featured merchandise of ''Max and Ruby'' alongside several PBS Kids shows along with ''Music/TheWiggles'' and ''Literature/{{Miffy}}''.
* In a similar vein to the "imported show airing on Disney Channel" example, many people believe that ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'' was created by Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}, with merchandise even using the channel's name. In a similar manner to ''Rolie Polie Ollie'', Nick only distributes it, as it was originally made for Canadian network TV Ontario.
** The same thing tends to happen with other Nick Jr. imports as well, including ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/BobTheBuilder''[[note]] Until it moved to PBS in 2005[[/note]]. The first two were not Nick Jr. originals and were actually Canadian, with the first being a CBC show, the second being a Family Channel show, (not to be confused with the United States Family Channel) and the last show being produced by The Creator/{{BBC}} with the voices redubbed to American English.
*** On the topic of ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/LittleBear'', many people believe that these two shows aired on Creator/PBSKids in the United States when they actually were broadcast on Nick Jr.
* [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff/WesternAnimation This Very Wiki]] has mistakenly described WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans as a Canadian show that was exported to Nick Jr. The show was actually created and produced by Nickelodeon themselves. Not only that but the original pilots made for the show were produced in Florida and New York respectively. While Canadian studio Creator/{{Nelvana}} did indeed co-produce the show, their biggest involvement for it was providing the animation.
* Many people believe that programming that is syndicated to public TV stations via American Public Television were created for Creator/PBSKids, including ''Series/TheBigComfyCouch'', ''Series/{{Kidsongs}}'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Redwall}}'', ''WesternAnimation/PeepAndTheBigWideWorld'' and ''WesternAnimation/ZulaPatrol''. Not helping matters is that ''Peep and the Big Wide World'' would later become a regular program on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel.
* A few Website/YouTube videos showcasing playthroughs of ''WesternAnimation/SidTheScienceKid'' games called it a Creator/NickJr show when it actually airs on Creator/PBSKids. Not helping matters is that at least a few shows have been broadcast on both Nick Jr. and PBS Kids at separate points ''and'' PBS Kids additionally distributes [[WesternAnimation/RegalAcademy at least one Nick Jr. show]] on DVD through its Skiprope label.
* Ironically, there is a [[https://www.etsy.com/listing/676189236/hanna-barbera-production-mickey-mouse rare Mickey Mouse plastic toy]] from 1959 that has ''Hanna Barbera'' copyright labelled on the back of it.
* An [[https://archive.org/details/thomas-friends-season-25-animated-reboot-trailer-1 Internet Archive]] upload of the leaked ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriendsAllEnginesGo'' trailer has been put in the Creator/{{WildBrain}} category despite actually being animated by Creator/{{Nelvana}}.
* Many 90s cartoon adaptations of video games are often mistaken for Creator/DICEntertainment cartoons usually because of how much of a hold they had on video game adaptations at the time (all three [[Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow Super]] [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfSuperMarioBros3 Mario]] [[WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld1991 cartoons]], ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfZelda1989'', ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster'', the ''WesternAnimation/{{Battletoads}}'' pilot, and all three [[WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog 90s]] [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM Sonic]] [[WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground cartoons]]), and due to the less-than-stellar quality of most of the adaptations. Most of Capcom's animated projects from that time period (''WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears'', ''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter''[[note]]Produced by USA Studios, alongside Graz Entertainment for season 1, and InVision Entertainment for season 2[[/note]], and ''WesternAnimation/{{Darkstalkers}}''[[note]]solely produced by Graz Entertainment[[/note]]) are often frequent targets.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Underdog}}'' is commonly misattributed to Creator/JayWard, due to the animation being outsourced to Gamma Productions (a Mexican studio that animated most of Jay Ward's cartoons). The series was actually produced by Creator/TotalTelevision.
* ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs'' is often mistaken for a Creator/CartoonNetwork original series, no doubt because it shared some staff with some of the Creator/HannaBarbera-produced Cartoon Cartoons (namely Creator/GenndyTartakovsky and Creator/RobRenzetti) and reran on CN after it ended. However, Hanna-Barbera produced the show for Creator/{{TBS}}; at the time, Cartoon Network was merely a rerun farm for H-B's older series and ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes''.
* Due to Dreamworks' large presence in streaming television, creating cartoons such as ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'', ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', and ''WesternAnimation/KipoAndTheAgeOfWonderbeasts'', you'll occasionally witness someone say that other Creator/{{Netflix}} animated series like ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'' or ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'' were made by Dreamworks. ''The Dragon Prince'' was actually made by Wonderstorm, while ''Carmen'' was made by Creator/WildBrain.
[[/folder]]
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