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Music

Deadmau5 Countersued by Online Store Owner in Ongoing Legal Battle for the Name "Meowingtons"

The new action comes after talks failed between the store owner and the producer.
Photo by Matt Barnes

Last December, THUMP reported that Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, filed a trademark petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on behalf of his cat, Meowingtons. The producer sought to cancel the Meowingtons trademark belonging to Emma Bassiri, a Florida-based woman who sells "cat-themed women's apparel, bags, accessories, pillows, mugs and other home decor, and phone accessories' on meowingtons.com. Bassiri has maintained the trademark since 2014.

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However, on March 13, Bassiri of Meowingtons LLC sought an inductive and declaratory relief against deadmau5 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, according to IP Watchdog. Bassiri and Meowingtons LLC seeks to prevent the producer from using the term "MEOWINGTONS" as well as destroy any and all physical or digital goods using the term such as websites or social media profiles.

"Meowingtons also seeks a declaratory judgment that it is the senior user of the "MEOWINGTONS" mark," reported Steve Brachmann of IP Watchdog.

In deadmau5's original petition, he claimed that Bassiri was, "a long-time fan of deadmau5 and his music and followed him on social media." Therefore, according to Zimmerman and his legal team, she was aware of his cat, Prof. Meowingtons. In Bassiri's new legal action however, she denies these allegations, calling them, "contradictory, harmful and malicious statements."

Bassiri filed the new claim after negotiation attempts ended. "After this happened, going to court to assert my rightful use of Meowingtons became unavoidable," Bassiri said, according to the Miami New Times.

Zimmerman has not taken the new legal actions lightly, speaking out on his social media accounts.

I guess the act of naming your tour and merchandise, 5 years before you did musnt mean shit nice. good luck with that one. get a new lawyer

— dead mow cinco (@deadmau5)March 15, 2017

sorry — dead mow cinco (@deadmau5)March 15, 2017

Zimmerman also released a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. "From the very beginning I was working to find a way to resolve this situation amicably," he said. "Now I am forced to litigate this woman out of existence. Bye bye Emma Bassiri. I am going to protect the trademark I have been using since 2011."

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Bassiri said, "The act of naming your pet animal is not protected by the trademark laws of any country of which I am aware. The mouse (Zimmerman) is clearly the copycat in this case, and our legal team is confident that Ms. Bassiri, a creative and hardworking entrepreneur who has built a successful online retailing business, Meowingtons.com, inspired by her love of cats, will prevail as the rightful and sole owner of the mark 'Meowingtons.'"