Deadmau5 -- aka Joel Zimmerman -- unleashed fury upon The Walt Disney Company in early September for opposing his attempt to register a trademark of the signature mouse head he wears while performing. On Twitter, the DJ told his 3 million followers how "stupid" it was that anyone could confuse him with a cartoon. What he left unsaid: that the dispute has cost him dearly.
In July, Disney's music division extended an offer for the DJ to remix the Star Wars theme for the animated series Star Wars Rebels, according to several sources close to the situation. Although Deadmau5, 33, is already among the most successful EDM acts in the world, the exposure would have been immense: Disney was promising daily promotional spots on the Disney XD channel, which reaches more than 260 million households in 141 countries. But the music group wasn't aware that its parent company had been investigating Deadmau5's trademark since March. When Deadmau5 sought to protect his mark on a wide range goods, from toys to mayonnaise to walking sticks, the offer was pulled.
Deadmau5 Fires Back at Disney's Trademark Opposition With Cease and Desist