Disney Sues DJ Deadmau5

Disney has filed a trademark claim against popular DJ and EDM artist Deadmau5, alleging that his famed headpiece logo is too Mickey Mouse.

According to Deadmau5’s lawyer, Dina LaPolt, the DJ’s logo is already a registered trademark in 30 countries, including the UK, Ireland and Germany. But not in America: Deadmau5 applied to the US patent and trademark office in June 2013, and Disney’s 171-page opposition papers were submitted this month, according to TMZ. “Given that the mau5head, and other identifying deadmau5 trademarks, have been used in the US and around the world for almost a decade, we wonder why Disney is only now coming after Deadmau5,” LaPolt said in a statement. Deadmau5 was much less polite: “Disney thinks you might confuse an established electronic musician/performer with a cartoon mouse,” he tweeted. “That’s how stupid they think you are.”

According to Forbes, Deadmau5 is earning $16M annually from merchandising and DJ gigs.