In 1939 Solomon Linda, a Zulu migrant worker in South Africa, wrote a song called "Mbube," better known here under the title of the rewrite version by George David Weiss, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." According to copyright lawyer Owen Dean, Linda sold the rights, but British law in effect at the time dictates that they should have reverted to his heirs 25 years after his death in 1962.
Pete Seeger's recording of the song as "Wimoweh," titled from his mishearing of the original Zulu lyrics, was a hit for the Weavers in the early 1950s, and it broke into the Top 40 a decade later with a version by the Tokens.
Now there is a lawsuit that charges Disney studios with copyright infringement for using the song in its mega-successful 1994 film, "The Lion King." If the lawsuit is successful, South African proceeds from all Disney trademarks could be seized to pay off the $1.6 million being asked for in damages, as well as set the state for future legal actions against Disney.