Cat wins US$710,000 payout in copyright lawsuit

A cat made famous online because of its permanent angry expression has been awarded US$710,000 in a copyright case by a California federal court.

Grumpy Cat Limited sued the owners of US coffee company Grenade for exceeding an agreement over the cat's image.

The company only had rights to use the cat to sell its "Grumppuccino" iced drink, but sold other Grumpy products.

The cat’s real name Tardar Sauce, went viral in 2012 after photographs of her angry expression emerged online.

In 2013 Grenade Beverage struck a $150,000 deal to market iced coffee beverages with the cat's scowl on its packaging.

But in 2015 Grumpy Cat Limited sued them for breaching that contract.

A court filing claimed they had exceeded the deal by selling roasted coffee and Grumppucino T‑shirts, which Grumpy Cat said "blatantly infringed" their copyrights and trademarks.

The coffee chain's owners countersued on the grounds that the cat and its owners had not held up their side of the deal.

A lawyer for Grenade said Grumpy Cat had failed to mention its brand enough on social media and in a television appearance, according to court reports.

Grumpy cat, dressed in baseball shirt, appearing in Arizona in 2015 with her owners Chrystal and Tabatha Bundesen

Grumpy Cat is thought to have earned millions in endorsement and advertising deals

They also alleged that the owners had told them Tardar Sauce was set to star in a film alongside Hollywood actors Will Ferrell and Jack Black, something that did not happen.

But a California federal jury sided with the cat and her owners, ordering the payment of $710,000 in damages for copyright and trademark infringement, as well as a $1 nominal damage fee for breach of contract.

According to Courthouse News, Grumpy Cat herself made a brief appearance during the January trial, but was not present for the verdict.

Source: BBC