Villains come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes with four legs. DC Comics is opposing an attempt to register the “BatHat” trademark in association with homemade dog hoodies claiming people might think the product is affiliated with Batman.

Since 2013, Snorf Industries has been making apparel for bulldogs and other hard-to-fit breeds. Snorf Industries is not a giant St. Bernard of a company but rather a small Chihuahua-sized home business. The person behind the brand is Dara Emily Moss, an individual living in New Jersey, that does business under the Snorf name. Snorf runs a website that sells all types of pooch apparel such as collars, neck ties, and a lightweight, breathable polar fleece hoodie called the “BatHat”.

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In September 2014, Moss filed a trademark registration application for BATHAT to cover clothing for animals. To the right is the cutest sample of trademark use ever that was submitted with the application. On its website, Snorf never references Batman or DC Comics in any way and the product appears to have received the name from the look of the pointy ears. This hasn’t stopped DC comics from objecting to the registration of the mark. Last week, DC Comics filed its formal opposition to the mark claiming that it is confusingly similar not only to the BATMAN mark but also BATGIRL, BATWOMAN, BATCAVE, BATMOBILE, and BATARANG marks. Batman was first introduced in 1939 and there is no doubt that it is one of the most recognizable trademarks in the world. DC Comics argues that the BATHAT mark is similar in sight, sound and commercial impression because it uses the same “BAT” prefix as contained in DC Comics’ trademarks. DC Comics argues that people would be confused to think the BATHAT trademark, and the hoodies bearing its name, are owned by, associated or affiliated with DC Comics and its trademarks. Sure if I saw the BATHAT mark in a comic book, I would associate it with Batman, but when looking at the sample pictures and the product, the case is not as clear. The Trademark Office must decide whether the BATHAT mark should be registered or whether it should be denied because it is confusingly similar to DC Comics’ marks. ![bathat](http://piratedthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/bathat.png)