The Phillie Phanatic legal dispute is over.

Huzzah!

The parties in question agreed to settle, and now everyone is happy. Here’s a statement from Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, shared by the AP’s Dan Gelston:

“we are thrilled to see the original Phanatic back where he should be”

That may be true, but they’re probably also thrilled with the fat pay check they received in settlement. And listen, we didn’t write the law that allows artists to renegotiate their work after 35 years. If you created and sold something tomorrow, you might try to profit off it again in the year 2056. It is what it is.

Alas, this is always how the situation was going to be resolved. Money solves every problem. In a related thought, you know those people who say “money can’t buy you happiness?” They’re wrong. They’re just spending it on the wrong things.