Report: Living Meme Grumpy Cat Awarded $710,000 in Copyright Lawsuit

The owners of meme "Grumpy Cat" won more than $700,000 in a lawsuit
AP/ Richard Drew

Grumpy Cat Limited, the company behind historic Internet meme Grumpy Cat, has been awarded $710,000 following a copyright lawsuit.

The company was awarded the money following a legal dispute with Grenade Beverage, who was licensed to create branded iced coffee but reportedly breached the contract to create branded coffee grounds and t-shirts.

“On Monday, an eight-member jury decided in favor of Grumpy Cat Limited in a suit against Grenade Beverage, the maker of Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino,” reported NPR on Thursday. “The deal went sour. First, Grumpy Cat Limited sued the Sandfords’ company, claiming breach of contract. In addition to the iced coffee, it said, Grenade Beverages tried to market a Grumpy Cat line of coffee grounds and Grumppuccino T-shirts that were not part of the original agreement. Then, the Sandfords countersued, seeking $12 million in damages for potential lost revenue. Their suit charged that Grumpy Cat Limited dropped the ball on promotion and support for the coffee line.”

“They claimed that Bryan Bundesen, brother of Grumpy Cat’s Tabatha Bundesen, posted an image of the iced coffee bottle before it was ready to go to market, stealing the company’s launch thunder,” explained NPR, adding, “The Sandfords also say that during the contract negotiations, they were enticed by the prospect of a Grumpy Cat movie, starring Will Ferrell and Jack Black, which has yet to materialize,” among other promises.

Grumpy Cat Limited won the legal battle, however, receiving $710,000 for “copyright and trademark infringement and $1 for breach of contract.”



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