The mayor says it's gone too far.
Elmo, Barney and Hello Kitty in Times Square will soon need a license to beg, reported the Daily News.
After a Spiderman character was arrested over the weekend for hitting a cop, Mayor Bill de Blasio said enough is enough: Times Square characters who hit up tourists for tips while dressed as children's favorite T.V. characters need some controls.
"It's not appropriate for anyone to demand a certain amount of money from a passing tourists and harass them in that manner," said de Blasio.
The New York City Council is drafting a bill now that will lay forth copyright and other legal issues with the likes of Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon, but would also keep a registry of all the costumed characters walking around, and require the fuzzy characters get licenses, which de Blasio said he would back.
