Grumpy Cat Perks Up After Winning $710,000 in Court Case
Grumpy Cat is most famous for always looking so disgruntled and discontent, but after being awarded $710,000 in a court payout from coffee company Grenade Beverage, LLC., we’re watching to see if there’s just a hint of satisfaction from the feline.
In 2013, Grumpy Cat’s mama Tabatha Bundesen made a deal with the U.S. coffee company Grenade Beverage, LLC. The company was allowed to sell its Grumpy Cat Grumppuccino iced coffee using Grumpy’s image, but according to Bundesen, the company overreached in contract allowances.
Related: Grumpy Cat’s Worst Ever Honor As She Tops Forbes Best Pet Influencers List
The court papers indicated that Grumpy Cat’s image had been used on other products as well, making Grumpy cat and her mama…well, actually grumpy, while the coffee company claimed that the cat had not followed through with her part of the deal as neither she nor her mom mentioned the coffee brand name as much as their contract claimed it would.
Turns out the jury found for Grumpy Cat, though, and awarded $710,000 in damages from trademark and copyright infringement. For principle, she was also awarded a $1.00 for the company’s breach of contract.
Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, was not in court for the verdict, but was earlier for the proceedings in January. Her lawyer, David Jonelis, said that he thought it was the first time what was essentially an Internet Meme had won a court case.
Related: Grumpy Cat’s Owner Is… Not So Grumpy Anymore, Thanks To $100 Million
But Grumpy Cat is no longer just a meme sensation. She has her own company and does many cameos in films and television shows, as well as nearly 1.5 million followers on Twitter, with 2.4 million on Instagram. Nearly nine million people like her on Facebook, and as a result of her bustling businesses, her mama was able to retire from her job as a waitress and work with Grumpy Cat full-time.
Grumpy Cat has not made an official statement on the verdict, but we’re pretty sure that she thought it was awful.
More by Lori Ennis