Disney may be a famously litigious organisation, but they probably didn’t realise who they’re dealing with when they brought the lawyers out to fight Joel ‘Deadmau5′ Zimmerman’s application to trademark his mau5head in the United States.
Disney's Opposition to the Deadmau5 Trademark
The U.S. Trademark Office can sometimes resemble a cat-and-mouse game. Six months ago, we broke news that Disney was investigating a trademark registration filed by the company owned by EDM star Joel Zimmerman, better known as Deadmau5 .
Providing notice of a potential challenge isn't unusual at the Trademark & Trial Board. Now, though, Disney has filed formal papers opposing the attempted registration of a mark consisting of a caricature of a mouse head with black ears, black face, white eyes and white mouth.
According to Disney, "Applicant's Mouse Ears Mark is nearly identical in appearance, connotation, and overall commercial impression to Disney's Mouse Ears Marks... Accordingly, Applicant's Mouse Ears Mark so resembles Disney's prior used and registered Disney's Mouse Ears Marks as to be likely, when used in connection with Applicant's Products and Services, to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive.
Zimmerman commented himself on the situation in his usual manner: briefly and vigorously:
Disney thinks you might confuse an established electronic musician / performer with a cartoon mouse. That's how stupid they think you are.
— deadmau5 (@deadmau5) September 3, 2014
