The feline behind the "Grumpy Cat" internet meme has won a major payout as part of a copyright infringement case against a coffee company. Grumpy Cat's lawyer said it was likely the first time a meme had won in court.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/L. Hahn
Advertisement
Internet phenomenon Grumpy Cat had reason to smile on Thursday after a jury in California found that that a drinks company had used her image on a range of unauthorized products.
The defendant, Granade Beverage, was ordered by the Californian federal court to pay $710,000 (roughly €570,000) to Grumpy Cat's owner, Tabatha Bundesen of Morristown, Arizona.
Bundesen's company Grumpy Cat Ltd, which owns the image rights to the cat, had struck a deal with the drinks firm to use the feline's image on a range of Granade Beverage products, including drinks dubbed "Grumppuccinos."
Memes: An Internet Phenomenon
03:52
This browser does not support the video element.
However, the Granade Beverage was found to have violated the agreement by also using the cat's face on a number of unauthorized products, including ground coffee.
"We asked the jury what they thought was right and they came to the right conclusion," Grumpy Cat's lawyer David Jonelis said, adding that it was likely the first time an internet meme had won a lawsuit.
From house cat to internet celebrity
Grumpy Cat, whose dwarfism and pronounced underbite give her what looks like a permanent frown, became an online phenomenon after Bundesen's brother posted a picture on the popular online message board Reddit.
The picture quickly went viral and spawned millions of so-called "lolcat" memes.
Online infamy quickly turned into hard cash, with Grumpy Cat (whose real name is Tarder Sauce) going on to become nothing short of a celebrity, making cameos in films and TV shows and appearing at red carpet premiers.
The frowning feline has also lent her face to face to Honey Nut Cheerios cereal and carmaker Opel. She also has a host of her own branded merchandise.
Cats conquered the Internet long ago. The number of their fans and followers on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and so on makes would-be celebrities green with envy. We introduce the most famous kitties.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Grumpy Cat
A sourpuss look has made this cat from Arizona world-famous in the social networks, where she is by far the most successful representative of her trade. Grumpy Cat’s facial expression, by the way, isn’t really caused a bad mood: she suffers from a genetic condition that has stunted her growth. But her owner hasn’t done at all badly out of Grumpy Cat’s star status in comics, films and advertizing.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Simon's Cat
Simon's Cat is not a real four-legged animal. The kitty comes from the pen of British illustrator Simon Tofield. His animated webclips, comic strips and books tell amusing tales from the life of a house cat. Simon's Cat became famous worldwide via YouTube. Meanwhile Simon Tofield's video channel has had about 840 million views.
Image: Screenshot Youtube
Choupette
This Burmese cat belongs to top German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who likes to use her as a model. And of course he has dedicated his own collection to his muse. By the way, Choupette has her own profile on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She even has her own domestic staff, including two maids, a bodyguard and a cook. Wouldn’t you just love to be a cat... ?
Image: picture-alliance/Eventpress
Maru Cat
Maru is a Scottish fold that lives in Japan and has become a worldwide celebrity thanks to YouTube. Her owner regularly posts videos of the cute pussy on the “mugumogu” account, although she herself prefers to remain anonymous. Meanwhile, two books about the life of the four-legged star have appeared so far.
Image: picture-alliance/Asian News Network
Lil Bub
Short legs, scrawny body, oversized eyes and protruding tongue: this is Lil Bub. He was born with various genetic mutations and suffers from dwarfism and osteoporosis. On her homepage, the tiny cat tells its life story: originally abandoned on the streets of Bloomington in the US state of Indiana, today Lil Bub is a writer and chat show star and has her own YouTube channel and Twitter account.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/J. C. Hong
A Streetcat Named Bob
Bob is a movie star and the central figure in the British drama "A Streetcat Named Bob,“ a film based on the book of the same name that’s sold about five million copies so far. His 540.000 fans on Facebook put many other film stars in the shade. Before Bob came to international fame, he liked to ride by bus through London on the shoulders of his owner - incognito. But those times are long past.
Image: picture-alliance/BREUEL-BILD/J. Harrell
Nala Cat
Nala the Siamese cat was found in an animal shelter. Her new owner took the sickly animal in and nursed her to health. She posted progress reports on her Instagram account, which quickly reached more than a million followers. In the meantime, she’s appeared in numerous YouTube videos and animal protection advertisements.
