Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Famed DJ Deadmau5 and The Walt Disney Company have settled their trademark dispute over the use of the “Deadmau5 Mouse Head” Logo. Just when it seemed likely that the two sides were headed for a lengthy legal battle over the use of the Deadmau5 logo, it has been revealed that the two sides have reached a settlement agreement.
EDM DJ Deadmau5 aka Joel Zimmerman, has become one of the genre’s biggest acts since he began to release music in the early 2000’s under the stage name “Deadmau5.” He is also certainly one of the most recognizable for his use of a large “mouse head” piece which he wears during his live performances. Zimmerman is the owner of several registered trademarks for the “deadmau5” logo which consists of a caricature of a mouse head with a black face, large black ears, white eyes and a white mouth.
Last September, Disney filed a notice of opposition with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, stating that the Deadmau5 design was “nearly identical in appearance, connotation, and overall commercial impression to Disney’s Mouse Ears Marks” and would “cause confusion” among consumers. In the past, Zimmerman and Disney had done business, including a licensing agreement for his hit song “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” for a Disney video game. In response to Disney’s opposition, Zimmerman responded by stating “Disney thinks you might confuse an established electronic musician/performer with a cartoon mouse. That’s how stupid they think you are.” While it appeared as though the battle over the “Mouse Head” was primed to be long and contentious, “Disney and Deadmau5 have amicably resolved their dispute,” said an attorney for Zimmerman, recently. While the terms of the settlement were not revealed, they will likely be detailed in papers from the USPTO soon.
For more information see http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/deadmau5-disney-settle-dispute-mouse-804072