Grumpy Cat is getting litigious.
Grumpy Cat Limited, the owner of the copyrights and trademarks associated with the Internet-famous feline, is suing Grenade Beverage and its co-founders for copyright and trademark infringement and breach of contract.
The complaint, obtained by Consumerist, claims that Grenade founders Nick and Paul Sandford induced the plaintiff to grant them limited rights to the Grumpy Cat brand and has since repeatedly abused and infringed upon those rights to sell unauthorized branded products. As the document states, “Defendants’ despicable misconduct here has actually given Grumpy Cat and her owners something to be grumpy about.”
According to the complaint, the two parties entered into a license agreement in May 2013 that granted Grenade limited rights to use the trademarked name and image on a line of coffee products in exchange for royalties. The approved product was a line of iced coffee beverages called “Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino.” Any additional products required additional negotiations and approval from Grumpy Cat.
The complaint says Grumpy Cat had learned late this year about the defendants’ intention to sell another line of Grumpy Cat-branded coffee products. The complaint refers to a series of emails in which Paul Sandford was told that Grenade had not been authorized to proceed with the line, and selling the product would constitute a breach of the licensing agreement.
Grumpy Cat is demanding compensation and damages and requesting that Grenade be ordered to cease “any further misconduct.”
In a statement to Coins2Day, Paul Sandford said that “there is not one factual statement contained in the entire complaint, and I suggest that you stay tuned.”
Grumpy Cat Limited could not immediately be reached for comment.