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Grumpy Cat Wants $600K From 'Pirating' Coffee Maker (torrentfreak.com)
Eloking quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Grumpy Cat is not pleased, yet. Her owners have asked a California federal court to issue a $600,000 judgment against a coffee maker which allegedly exploited their copyrights (PDF). In addition, they want damages for trademark and contract breach, and a ban on the company in question from selling any associated Grumpy Cat merchandise. There are dozens of celebrity cats on the internet, but Grumpy Cat probably tops them all. The cat's owners have made millions thanks to their pet's unique facial expression, which turned her into an overnight internet star. Part of this revenue comes from successful merchandise lines, including the Grumpy Cat "Grumppuccino" iced coffee beverage, sold by the California company Grenade Beverage. The company licensed the copyright and trademarks to sell the iced coffee, but is otherwise not affiliated with the cat and its owners. Initially this partnership went well, but after the coffee maker started to sell other "Grumpy Cat" products, things turned bad. TorrentFreak adds: "The cat's owners, incorporated as Grumpy Cat LLC, took the matter to court last year with demands for the coffee maker to stop infringing associated copyrights and trademarks. After Grenade Beverage failed to properly respond to the allegations, Grumpy Cat's owners moved for a default, which a court clerk entered in early June. A few days ago they went ahead and submitted a motion for default judgement."
Yeah, and the reaction to the Sistine Chapel created that work of art as well.
Yes, she does. The fact that she does not act upon it is het choice and now it will be too late, but at the beginning, she (or another person who made the image, but most likely herself) had the copyright.
Each time you create something, you automatically get the copyright, unless you have made alternative arrangements (e.g. working at a company or under contract). If you write something or take a photo, the copyright is yours. You have the right to decide who is allowed to copy it. Even: people should ASK you if they have the right to copy it.
In most cases people on the Internet are extremely lenient about copyright. Especially on the InterWebs. And in the case of Laina, even encourage it, as it raiser their value or self esteem or whatever. That does not mean they do not have the copyright in the first place.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
But while the meme is "about the cat" the original meme is actually based on a specific photograph/video(s) of the cat that the owners published on the internet and hold copyrights on - the cat itself doesn't exist inside a computer and isn't published on the internet. While they have allowed use of the image for memes they also have chosen to require any commercial use to be licensed (using both copyright and trademark laws as appropriate).
The drawing is almost certainly a derivative work of those images/videos being used for commercial use... having done some further reading the drawing in use was *not* made directly from the real life cat which pretty much ties up the copyright claim for every instance where the drawing, a derivative work of a copyrighted image, was used without licence.
As far as the trademarks go its a little more fuzzy but in initially licensing the use of trademarks from Grumpy Cat LLC for the one product the coffee company acknowledged and accepted the validity of the trademark and will make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to argue otherwise in court.
[The Universe] has gone offline.
Actually, it's a trademark.
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
You are right, and this is a trademark and breach of contract lawsuit. The internet gets these confused all the time when reporting on this stuff, but even the summary says so. Other people in these comments just assume copyright for some reason.
I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
ACs don't see sigs. For someone to knowingly comment on sig content they must be able to see Slashdot from the perspective of a numbered user.
We have been screaming for a long time that its time to end copyright as currently implemented. Its not bitching to point out we have arrived at an absurd place that someone can make millions on images of a cat. This crap has no place in an Information Age. Copyright is supposed to further the arts, not necessarily enrich 'owners'. The notion that a person can own an idea needs to stop, NOW. Its absurd.
Good-bye
No, they're just afraid you're going to dox them and attack them online with your horde of PC lynch mobs, harass their boss at work until they're fired, then make the headlines in various news outlets about how you defended the world against oppression and bigotry of the cyginscist white males.
- These characters were randomly selected.