**PLEASE NOTE: Change.org might ask you to “donate” after signing. Any donations go to Change.org, and will not reach Cat & Cloud Coffee, or any other business that Caterpillar has taken action against. To support Cat & Cloud Coffee directly, please visit their fundraiser here!

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s largest construction equipment manufacturer, with net revenue exceeding $54 billion in 2018. Recently, they’ve embarked on a concentrated effort to cancel the trademarks of several small businesses that use the word “Cat” in their name.

The businesses they’ve chosen to attack do not produce construction equipment, or market themselves or their products in a way that could be confused with Caterpillar Inc. whatsoever. In short, they do not compete with, or take business from Caterpillar Inc. at all.

Suspiciously, Caterpillar Inc. has not taken action against larger brands - like Target and Dr. Seuss Enterprises for their “Cat & Jack” and “Cat in the Hat” clothing products, respectively - seemingly because these brands are known to have excellent trademark counsel. If these actions against smaller businesses are truthfully made in effort to protect the interests of Caterpillar Inc. why don’t they focus on the largest sources of potential competition?

Maybe they really do have reasons. Maybe they were dreaming up some sort of weird, cloud-based construction service of the future, and trying to come up with catchy names for it. Maybe those things are true. The problem is, these businesses chose their names and went through the necessary steps to have them legally registered. That should be the end of it.

By signing this petition, you are urging Caterpillar Inc. to stop bullying, lift these frivolous actions against small businesses, and invest the money saved into more worthwhile efforts that will reflect their company values and those of their shareholders.

**PLEASE NOTE: Change.org might ask you to “donate” after signing. Any donations go to Change.org, and will not reach Cat & Cloud Coffee, or any other business that Caterpillar has taken action against. To support Cat & Cloud Coffee directly, please visit their fundraiser here!

