Call it a game of cat and mau5.
Canadian DJ and producer deadmau5 is going after a Toronto woman for using the name of his beloved pet Meowingtons.
deadmau5, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, filed a petition on Dec. 28 at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the cancellation of Emma Bassiri’s trademark on the name.
Bassiri, who sells feline-themed merchandise at meowingtons.com, was granted a trademark in April 2014. Currently based in Miami, Florida, Bassiri’s company is registered at a downtown Toronto condo suite.
The petition alleges that Bassiri “has been a long-time fan of deadmau5 and his music and followed him on social media.”
According to deadmau5, Bassiri’s “unauthorized use of the MEOWINGTONS mark has already caused actual confusion in the marketplace” and has deprived him of “the ability to control the use of its valuable intellectual property.”
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deadmau5 says he adopted his kitty — which he has referred to as Prof. Meowingtons, Prof. Meowingtons, PhD, and Meowingtons — from the Toronto Humane Society in January 2010. The cat “became an internet sensation,” according to his petition.
Prof. Meowingtons soon had his own Facebook page and verified Twitter account (currently with about 31,000 followers). deadmau5 claims his pet “has become widely recognized in his own right.”
Prof. Meowingtons appears on the cover of deadmau5’s 2012 album >album title does here< and once had his own limited edition headphones designed for cats.
Bassiri could not be reached for comment.