Question about Ernie on Dookie CASSETTES

[MyckelJay]

Alrighty. I'm sure you're all aware that older copies of Dookie have Ernie on the back cover, but because of a dispute with Sesame Street, newer copies have Ernie removed. I don't want to start another thread for people to argue about the rarity of these, or argue about what countries do or don't have the ban, or the reason why he was removed in the first place. I just have a simple question; that's all. I have a 1994 copy of Dookie on cassette and it does have Ernie. Dookie was repressed on cassette in 2015 for Record Store Day, but the represses also have Ernie on the artwork. Can anybody tell me why it's allowed on the tapes, but not the CDs or vinyl records?

[Second favourite son]

Are you based in the US or outside? In terms of the law it shouldn't make any difference whether its a tape, cd or vinyl - if the image isn't allowed, it isn't allowed. It was my understanding that the image was removed to avoid a dispute rather than as a result of one. Maybe then they either A) decided that tape was such a redundant format that nobody would care, B) got special permission to use the image only on cassette copies, or C) overlooked it and just went with the original design.

[ghesboro]

I've always seen Ernie on the back of both cd's and vinyls. As far as I know, they airbrushed it on early copies, but then they were allowed to put it back on, although some people who bought Dookie in recent times got their copy without Ernie on the back. But as @Second favourite son said, in legal terms the format shouldn't really make a difference. I have a feeling it depends on where you're from though, because I've only heard of people getting copies without Ernie in the US (of course I might be wrong on this, that's just what I've heard so far). At this point I think they just randomly removed it on some copies and kept it on others after the dispute was over, independently of the format.

[ElmoGreenDay]

I'm in the UK and my copy has Ernie on it. CD was bought in 04/05.

[Hermione]

Ernie was only ever removed in the US (or North America?), everywhere else has always had it. So with the CD it's always been quite rare to see it with Ernie in the US and quite rare to see it without elsewhere. If it was made outside the US no surprise he's there, otherwise @Second favourite son's post seems the most likely explanation.

[AlissaGoesRAWR]

I have one I found at a secondhand shop in Columbus. Honestly, is it worth much of anything? 

[WhiteTim]

Most likely it was overlooked

[desertrose]

I have the Ernie CD I got a the good will store for 1.99.  I already had the cassette.