The current owners of the Felix the Cat cartoon character are suing the makers of the Kit Cat wall clock for trademark violation.
Felix made his debut in 1922 as a silent film star. The Kit Cat clock, which also features a grinning black and white feline, was introduced about ten years later during the Great Depression.
It's taken 70 years for Felix's lawyers to decide that Kit Cat is a copycat, and they're suing.
In its suit, Felix's production company claims Kit-Cat has capitalized on his unique facial similarities to confuse consumers.
Court papers note that before the suit was filed in 2004, Kit-Cat's manufacturers referred to him online as the "Felix Clock."
The California Clock Co. insists its use of Felix's name was derived not from the cartoon, but the Latin word felicitas, which means happiness.
"That claim fails the straight-face test," scoffed Felix's attorney, Robert Meloni.
