Inside The Mouse Castle 09-05-2014 - Deadmau5 vs. Disney, a 'Hullabaloo' Over 2D Animation and Happy Birthday, Pluto!

Does Deadmau5's logo violate a Disney trademark?
We don't think so either.

Joel Zimmerman is going toe to toe with Disney over his big mouse head. The house musician, who performs under the stage name Deadmau5 (pronounced "dead mouse") usually wears a large mouse-shaped helmet when he performs and has done so for well over ten years. He recently registered his mau5head with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Disney is not happy about it. They've filed a trademark infringement suit, claiming Deadmau5's signature look is way too similar to their own in-house mouse.

In the latest Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I talk about the trademark controversy and we're siding with Deadmau5 on this one. Does he resemble Mickey Mouse on stage? Yes. Could a reasonable person mistake Deadmau5 for Mickey? We don't think so.

UPDATE: Since we recorded the show Friday, Deadmau5 has upped the ante, filing a cease and desist order against Disney over their alleged inappropriate use of one of his music tracks in a video. It appears Deadmau5 has as much arrogance as Disney has deep pockets for lawyers. Grab your popcorn, kids. This is going to be fun.

Also in this episode of Inside the Mouse Castle:

• A group of former Disney animators led by director James Lopez is crowdfunding a steampunk-style 2D animated film with a smart and savvy female protagonist. We're loving the look of Hullabaloo and we encourage you to contribute to it on Indiegogo.  

• In Marvel news, Al Pacino is gushing over Guardians of the Galaxy and director James Gunn has taken notice. Could the great actor be in line for a role in GotG 2? Also, hear about the Stan Lee cameo in Guardians that didn't happen and how Lee may have spilled the beans on a Black Panther movie.
• Destination D: Attraction Rewind is a two-day D23 event at Walt Disney World November 22 and 23. We're really excited about two recently announced presentations: one by Imagineering Legend Tony Baxter and a panel discussing Brad Bird's upcoming film Tomorrowland.
• There's a Happiest Haunts guided tour that's going on at Disneyland this Halloween season. Apparently it's been around for a few years now. How did we not know about this? Also, Walt Disney World will be opening a Haunted Mansion shop sometime soon that's going to be as heavy in theming and backstory as it is in merchandise.
• It's a good weekend to celebrate birthdays. Mickey's pal Pluto (or the character who would become Pluto) made his debut in The Chain Gang on September 5, 1930. The Morocco pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase opened 30 years ago on September 7. And finally, on September 5, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue marked its 40th year of dinner theater performances at Pioneer Hall at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness.

Enjoy!

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