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Tractor maker bulldozing coffee shop over “CAT” claims

Posted On: Jun. 10, 2019 2:13 PM CST

Caterpillar

A California coffee shop has been accused of being a copycat for including the generic feline descriptor in its name.

Tractor-making giant Caterpillar Inc. has filed a legal action against Santa Cruz, California-based coffee shop Cat & Cloud Coffee, claiming that its usage infringes on the Caterpillar’s trademark of the word “CAT,” according to website techdirt.com.

The coffee company said it received its first notice from Caterpillar about its “CAT” trademark in August of 2018, and found it “ridiculous” that the fat cat company would go after a completely different industry, and argued that the coffee company’s “cat” stood for the furry, feline variety, whereas the tractor company’s “CAT” represents an insect, said techdirt.com.

While the coffee shop claimed it has already spent $10,000 in legal fees and other expenses, it’s yet to be seen whether bulldozing Caterpillar or Cat & Cloud will look like the cat that ate the canary once the situation is resolved.