Deadmau5 is Under Investigation by THE Mouse. That’s Right: Disney.

April 1, 2014 Alan Cross 4 Comments

If there’s one thing you do not do is mess with Disney’s trademarked properties because they will do everything in their power to crush you–even if it means strong-arming the government into rewriting copyright laws. (If you don’t believe me, go here and read about what’s become known as The Mickey Mouse Law.)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is most concerned that this…

…looks way too much like this.

Deadmau5, you see, wants to trademark the above logo. Disney isn’t happy about that, saying that the Deadmau5 logo could mislead people into thinking that it’s actually about The Mouse. This could get weird.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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4 thoughts on “Deadmau5 is Under Investigation by THE Mouse. That’s Right: Disney.”

Dan John

April 1, 2014 at 11:16 am
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Well they kind of have a point. Then again, if they were fine with him using the logo up until now, what’s the big deal?
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Michael Shandro

April 1, 2014 at 10:32 pm
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I pointed it out to my 3 & 5 year old kids and asked them who the Deadmau5 logo is. Without hesitation they said, “Mickey Mouse”!
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Tony

April 2, 2014 at 3:39 am
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I don’t see what the big deal is. Does Disney own any and all mouse graphics, no matter their similarity to their own Mickey?
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Sarah

April 2, 2014 at 6:37 pm
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Before I know of Deadmau5, I thought that the logo was a version of Mickey mouse. It is Mickey mouse without the details (face). I have bought Deadmau5 song, and at one point, I have his logo as my screensaver, not because I am a huge fan, but I love how it looks like Mickey Mouse! So, I understand if Disney would try to block the trademark application since really, it’s a copy of Mickey.
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