H.R. Pufnstuf was the television program at the center of the 1970s legal dispute over McDonaldland characters.
Sid and Marty Krofft, creators of H.R. Pufnstuf, sued McDonald’s and advertising agencies, alleging that McDonaldland characters and settings copied elements of their fantasy television series. The dispute became a notable example of the legal risks involved in borrowing visual ideas for branded entertainment.
A federal jury found for the Kroffts in 1977, and the case later produced appellate rulings concerning copyright and infringement. The litigation focused on similarities between the fictional worlds and particular characters, not on whether McDonald’s could use advertising mascots in general.
H.R. Pufnstuf first aired in 1969. Its connection to McDonaldland is therefore a legal and branding-history fact, not evidence that the two programs were the same production.