Nicole Zabaleta
Grumpy Cat and her frown of anger have become a sensation in the networks after her photo went viral in 2012. A year later, her worldwide fame led to an agreement with the American coffee company Grenade Beverage LLC.
The company Grenade Beverage obtained the right to use the image of the cat to sell its ice cold drink Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino. Tabatha Bundesen, Grumpy Cat’s owner, took this company to court, claiming that it had exceeded the scope of this contract.
Angry outside but happy inside!
The federal court of California confirmed that the image of the cat had been used in other products. According to the lawsuit “Ironically, while the world-famous cat Grumpy Cat and its valuable brand are more often invoked in an ironic tone, the despicable misconduct of the defendants here has really given Grumpy Cat and her owners something of which be grunted. “
The company Grenade Beverage counter-ordered, alleging that Mrs. Bundesen with Grumpy Cat had not retained its part of the deal and had stopped mentioning the brand of the coffee chain on social networks and a television appearance.
Despite these statements, the jury endorsed Ms. Bundesen and Grumpy Cat. Granting the sum of $710,000 in damages and prejudice for copyright infringement and trademark. As well as a $1 damage fee for breach of contract. Although the famous Grumpy Cat didn’t attend the court for the verdict, he made a quick appearance during the trial in early January.
Fun fact, did you know that Grumpy Cat’s real name is Tardar Sauce? Very unique, but the world identifies him for his frown.
First meme in winning a case
The lawyer who represented Grumpy Cat in the case, David Jonelis, said he believed it was the first time a meme from the networks won a trial.
He also said, “We asked the jury what they thought was right and they came to the right conclusion.”
Her owner, Mrs. Bundesen, lives with her cat in Morristown, Arizona. Thanks to the fame of Grumpy Cat, she was able to generate a lot of profits, leaving her job as a waitress, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
This cat has become a public figure since it became global six years ago. Their social networks abound with followers. Twitter has 142 million followers, 2.4 million on Instagram and Facebook has more than nine million Likes. A lot of fans of this furry friend.
