system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How come some shows have to make a knock off character if they're doing a parody, while other shows like South Park can just use characters like the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba or Mickey Mouse without changing voices or appearances?
gpt
Legally, you can get away with quite a lot under "fair use" laws which cover parody. However, some shows prefer to play it safe since the copyright holder can still sue as a strongarm tactic even if they have little/no chance of winning.