Coffee shop says construction giant Caterpillar Inc. demands it stops selling T-shirts with the word 'Cat'
A Santa Cruz coffee shop is in Caterpillar Inc’s line of fire after the construction equipment giant put pressure on the small business to remove its trademark from apparel and footwear.
According to a Twitter thread on the Cat & Cloud Coffee shop’s account, the Fortune 100 company is pursuing legal action against Cat & Cloud for using the word “cat” on clothes. Caterpillar Inc. trademarked its own logo, which is “CAT” displayed with a yellow triangle beneath the “A,” long ago. However, the company seems to now feel threatened by the coffee shop’s own trademark for “CAT & CLOUD,” registered in 2015.
Yes, you read that right.
Caterpillar – the corporate construction giant that made $55 billion last year – is demanding we stop printing clothes with the word “cat” on them, claiming it's trademark infringement.
Check it out for yourself: https://t.co/fW4sUwOUPo [2/4]— Cat & Cloud (@catcloudcoffee) June 4, 2019
Caterpillar Inc’s petition for cancellation against Cat & Cloud — which was first filed in August 2018 — reveals that the corporation “believes that it is being, and will be damaged” by the trademark that the coffee shop has, which allows it to use a cat dressed in a hat and T-shirt, alongside a lightning cloud and the words “CAT & CLOUD,” on apparel.
The owners of Cat & Cloud, Jared Truby and Chris Baca, didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. However, on their company’s Twitter account, they expressed that Caterpillar Inc. is “using this tactic to bully other small, local businesses too – companies they know can’t afford expensive legal battles.”
And they’re using this tactic to bully other small, local businesses too – companies they know can’t afford expensive legal battles.
So we’re asking you to help us fight back. Tell @CaterpillarInc: #DontBulldozeSmallBiz [4/4] ✌️— Cat & Cloud (@catcloudcoffee) June 4, 2019
Caterpillar Inc., however, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that bullying small businesses is not the intention.
“We are not suing Cat & Cloud, not targeting a small business and not focused on Cat & Cloud’s primary interest: coffee,” a statement from the company’s spokesperson reads. “We’ve simply asked the U.S. Trademark Office to remove Cat & Cloud’s trademark registration on footwear and apparel only, products for which Caterpillar has longstanding trademarks and a considerable business. We hope to resolve this issue quickly.”
Meanwhile, Cat & Cloud owners have made it evident that they’re not backing down, and have instead asked that customers help them in their fight against Caterpillar Inc. by donating to a gofundme.
Do we want to be in a legal fight with a corporate giant? No. No we don't.
But we refuse to let @CaterpillarInc bully us & any other small biz with "cat" in their name.
If you can afford to chip in to help us defend ourselves, we'd be eternally grateful!https://t.co/1El0opm4Zm— Cat & Cloud (@catcloudcoffee) June 4, 2019
By the looks of Twitter and #DontBulldozeSmallBiz, it seems that a lot of people are ready to jump into this cat fight.
.@CaterpillarInc is bullying a local coffee shop because they claim to have trademarked the word “cat.” It’s like something out of Larry David’s head except it’s real. #dontbulldozesmallbiz https://t.co/ehnyzBtQHb
— Matt Lehrich (@mattlehrich) June 4, 2019
Come *on*, @CaterpillarInc - on behalf of cat lovers of the Internet I just want you to know that if your brand is “cat” just maaaaybe you’ve lost the battle for dominance of the word on the Internet. Cool your jets and #dontbulldozesmallbiz
— Betsy Hodges (@BetsyHodges) June 5, 2019
Yes, because it's *so* confusing which one is about coffee and which one is about heavy machinery. pic.twitter.com/NSiXgbPXqL
— Murray 2020 (@Trigger_Treats) June 2, 2019
Went to this place hoping to buy some @CaterpillarInc gear and OMG...it was actually @catcloudcoffee. Can't you see how confusing this is? And why it's *so* important for @CaterpillarInc to take @catcloudcoffee's trademark away?
Nope...I can't, either. Stop it, @CaterpillarInc pic.twitter.com/M8OkXvYvOk— Michael Why (@katzen_sack) June 4, 2019
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