.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
Separated at birth? DJ Deadmau5 and Mickey Mouse
In this corner is mouse number one: Canadian DJ Deadmau5. In the opposite corner is mouse number two: Disney's very own Mickey Mouse. Let the battle begin.
The legal battle, that is, over who gets to wear the mouse ears?
Deadmau5, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, wears an over-sized mouse ear helmet when he spins music. It's also the logo on his albums and merchandise. But Disney says the ears are too similar to its Mickey Mouse trademark.
Last year, Deadmau5 tried to register his mouse-ears logo with the US Patent and Trademark Office. Disney attempted to block him.
Earlier this week, Disney presented the trademark office with a side-by-side comparison of the DJ's logo and its own three-circle mouse ears logo. It is arguing that Zimmerman's logo was likely to cause confusion and damage its brand.
"Mickey Mouse is recognized as among the greatest animated characters of all time," the company said. Zimmerman had some fighting words for Disney's animated mouse that he tweeted to his nearly 3 million followers: "Lawyer up, Mickey."
He went on to tweet:
"Our client will not be bullied by Disney and is prepared to fight to protect his rights to his property," said Zimmerman's lawyer, Dina LaPolt, a statement.
Zimmerman's Deadmau5 logo has already been trademarked in over 30 countries. He has until October 12 to dispute Disney's opposition.
It looks like the gloves — or the ears — may come off soon.
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?