Disney Investigating Deadmau5’s Attempt to Trademark Mouse Logo
Disney is investigating a trademark registration filed by superstar DJ Deadmau5 regarding the latter’s logo, a black silhouette of a mouse head with white eyes and a white mouth, Billboard reports.
Find out Where Deadmau5 Ranks on our List of EDM’s 50 Most Important People
Deadmau5, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, applied for the mark last year via his Ronica Holdings Limited group. If registered, the logo could appear on products in myriad categories like electronic equipment, entertainment services, BMX bikes, paper and leather goods, toys and staple foods such as coffee.
The mouse logo, as you might imagine, bares a passing resemblance to Disney’s own Mickey Mouse, whose face is the de facto symbol of the entertainment giant. Disney is notorious for putting the kibosh on any such copyright infringment, and they have been granted 90 days to investigate Deadmau5’s claim and file a notice of opposition that could argue the DJ’s logo would confuse and mislead consumers.
In a 2012 Rolling Stone cover story, the producer addressed the alleged similarities between his head and Mickey’s. “Someone at the Disney patent office fell asleep on that one,” the producer said.
In other Deadmau5-related news, it looks as if the DJ’s Twitter and Facebook page were hacked by activists/trolls Anonymous, whose group changed Deadmau5′ profile photos to an image of two swords and their beloved Guy Fawkes mask in the shape of a pirate’s skull and crossbones, and are pushing the hashtag, #MillionMau5March. The whole thing, though, was revealed to be an April Fools’ prank based on a recently tweeted photo featuring a troll face and the message “April Fools You Tools, luv anon + mau5.” The DJ subsequently tweeted, after his list of people he followed on Twitter was erased, “Damnit, now i gotta follow my friends back. hahaha ah well! the price of an elaborate plan i guess. :D.”
Believe nothing today.