Grumpy Cat Goes to Court

In case you have not yet heard, Grumpy Cat, won a copyright case!

Tardar Sauce, a.k.a. Grumpy Cat
Image from https://www.grumpycats.com/about

Grumpy Cat started as an internet meme and has grown into a money maker. The Grumpy Cat shop has puzzles, t-shirts, mugs, even a Little Golden Book. According to the complaint, Grumpy Cat has "starred in her own Lifetime Television Christmas movie. . . ."

Grumpy Cat Limited v. Grenade Beverage LLC was filed in Federal District Court in the Central District of California in 2015. The case revolved around a dispute over the use of the "Grumpy Cat" brand by Grenade Beverage LLC, and this week, the jury found for Grumpy Cat.

The complaint itself is worth reading. It alleges, "Ironically, while the world-famous feline Grumpy Cat and her valuable brand are most often invoked in a tongue-and-cheek fashion, Defendants' despicable misconduct here has actually given Grumpy Cat and her owners something to be grumpy about."

Law students: This case is not over! The counterclaims will continue to be litigated. If you are interested in reading more about the case and stretching your legal research legs at the same time, look up the docket information with docket number 8:15-cv-02063-DOC-DFM. The commercial contracts of Westlaw and Lexis some have docket information, but for law students Bloomberg Law is the way to go.

Interested in Copyright Law? Check out these guides: Copyright Law: Primary Sources and Copyright Law: Secondary Sources.

Need more legal fun in your life? Check out our Judicial Humor Guide!

Want to know more about how to track and access docket information? Check out these guides: Staying Current and Judicial Branch Publications: Briefs, Oral Arguments & Dockets.