A battle between a musical mouse and a magical mouse is under way, as Canadian electronic artist deadmau5 countered an attempt by Disney to shut down his application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“Looks like Disney officially just filed in opposition of my trademark…lawyer up mickey,” deadmau5, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, tweeted to his 2.95 million followers earlier this week. This was right after Disney filed a 171-page document preventing the artist from getting a trademark for the mouse-shaped LED helmet he wears during his live shows, and uses as his logo.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Disney presented the patent office with a side-by-side comparison of his logo and its own three-circle Mickey logo, emphasizing the cartoon mouse’s popularity.
The mau5head, as it is called, is already patented in over 30 countries, but Disney took legal action after Zimmerman filed for a U.S. trademark last June.
Deadmau5’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, said her client would not be “bullied” by the U.S. corporation.
“Given that the mau5head and other identifying deadmau5 trademarks have been used in the US and around the world for almost a decade, we wonder why Disney is only now coming after deadmau5,” she said in a statement.
In yet another twist, deadmau5’s lawyers have hit Disney with a cease-and-desist notice for using his iconic track Ghosts ’n’ Stuff without his permission, according to a series of tweets from the artist himself.
okay mouse, http://t.co/zT7tTLffFw i never gave disney a liscene to use my track. So. we emailed you a C&D. @disney
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) September 4, 2014
oh, @disney just in case you dont check your email, ill just leave this here. pic.twitter.com/I9ZSHsKlWV
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) September 4, 2014
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