Kimba vs Emperor Leo vs Lion king?

what is the connection between Kimba the white lion and Jungle Emperor leo? I see many of the same characters with different names... are they the same? or are they like different generations of the same story? I know LIon King looks like a rip off, and it is based on Hamlet, but was it a rip off really? or was it just coinsidental? and if not, how much did they really rip off of Kimba and J. E. Leo?