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Help Cat & Cloud Defend Itself from Caterpillar

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Help! Caterpillar, Inc. is Trying to Cancel Our Small Business Trademark “Cat & Cloud Coffee”

Caterpillar, Inc. is the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturer with revenue of $54 billion in 2018. They’ve embarked on a concentrated effort to cancel the registered trademarks of several small businesses that use the word “cat” in their names. It would effectively set the precedent for them to OWN the word “cat”, making it un-useable by any business in the US. Cat & Cloud Coffee, our little Santa Cruz, CA company with three coffee shops and 50 employees is unfortunately being taken to trial at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to cancel our Class 25 trademark.

These “Goliath vs. David” fights typically end in instant victory for the “Goliath” since “David” cannot afford the legal expense to fight back. We need your help in standing up to what we see as bully tactics. “Cat & Cloud Coffee” in no way correlates to or causes confusion to Caterpillar’s mostly agricultural and industrial tractor and truck brand. Our lawyers agree.

In researching other Trademark litigation, we have seen cases that have cost the defendants up to $100,000. We intend to hire a PR firm to bring this injustice to light in the mainstream media where we believe it could easily go viral. It is our belief that Caterpillar’s actions here benefit no one, including Caterpillar. We see it as a needless attack on our American Dream, as an attack on small business, and as un-American. Our PR effort hopes to bring this story to Caterpillar’s executives and board members. To Caterpillar’s employees. To Caterpillar’s competitors. And to the general public. We hope these folks can help Caterpillar see their way to being better than this.

Additionally, any funds we raise above and beyond what it costs to defend ourselves will be donated to the following causes we believe in:

The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz, CA (Our community)
The Boys & Girls Club of Lake County, IL (Caterpillar Inc's community)
Equipment Support for the Coffee Farmers We Work With 

 Thank you for your support!

Chris, Jared and Charles
Cat & Cloud Coffee
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $5 
    • 4 yrs
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Organizer

Jared Truby
Organizer
Santa Cruz, CA

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