Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
The Meowingtons legal battle has gotten even stranger and longer.In the latest development, Joel Zimmerman (aka Deadmau5) has filed a countersuit against Emma Bassiri, the owner of meowingtons.com, a website selling, "cat-themed women's apparel, bags, accessories, pillows, mugs, and other home decor, and phone accessories." Bassiri has maintained the "Meowingtons" trademark since 2014. Zimmerman's suit claims trademark infringement, cybersquatting (which is the practice of registering well-known or brand names as Internet domains to resell them for profit), and unfair competition, reports the Hollywood Reporter. Zimmerman reportedly also wants the new website to be taken down as well as, "forfeiture of domain, plus disgorgement of profits or statutory damages.""Despite our clients' efforts to resolve the matter amicably, the company — which took the very mark as its name: Meowingtons, LLC — has been relentless, now forcing our clients to protect their trademark rights and intellectual property by filing a counterclaim," said Irene Lee, attorney for Zimmerman, in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.Zimmerman's legal battle began long before this latest countersuit. Last December, Zimmerman filed a trademark petition on behalf of his cat, Meowingtons, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, hoping to cancel Bassiri's Meowingtons trademark.This March, Bassiri filed a countersuit against Zimmerman seeking an inductive and declaratory relief against deadmau5, preventing the producer from using the term and requiring him to destroy any and all digital or physical goods using the term.In addition to his latest countersuit, Zimmerman has also filed suit against Scott Hutchison, a former Toronto DJ who manages meowingtons.com. Zimmerman and his legal ream reportedly have a screenshot of Hutchison's social media from 2010 which includes a photo of Deadmau5 playing tracks from his computer. Bassiri and Hutchison have not yet responded to the countersuit.