Fur Flies Over Deadmau5 Cat Trademark

Deadmau5 is being sued for his use of his cat’s name, as it is shared with a cat-themed online retail store.

AP Photo – Deadmau5
54th Annual Grammy Awards, Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

The famed producer and helmet wearer has been putting his cat, Professor Meowingtons PhD, on merchandise and the 2012 LP Album Title Goes Here. He seeks trademark rights for his cat’s name, but the “Meowingtons” marks are currently owned by Emma Bassiri, who operates Meowingtons.com, which sells everything from cat-themed coloring books, accessories, clothes and even kitty costumes, food and wine.

The artist has filed a petition to the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Bassiri’s rights to the marks, as the cat has become “widely recognized in his own right and gained substantial fans and followers on social media.”

Bassiri is suing Deadmau5 for his attempts to compete with her business, which she claims began after she had already began experiencing some success. The suit, filed in a Florida District Court, seeks an injunction against the artist and a variety of judgments to cover legal fees and profits earned unlawfully.

She claims that Deadmau5’s use of the Meowingtons name was “merely decorative” and that the naming of pets had no bearing on trademark rights.

Deadmau5 claims that he named the cat before Bassiri’s company existed and that she is a fan who plagiarized his ideas. Bassiri claims she has never been a fan of the mau5 and considers such allegations defamatory.

Professor Meowingtons could not be reached for comment.