Hello Kitty waves goodbye to friend Cathy
Rivals: Cathy, far right, was said to have looked too much like Miffy
12 April 2012
The Japanese creators of Hello Kitty are to ditch her friend Cathy after a legal battle with a rival company responsible for the character Miffy.
Legal action was brought in November by Dutch firm Mercis over claims that Cathy looked too much like Dick Bruna's well-known creation. The court agreed, but Sanrio, behind the Kitty brand, lodged an appeal.
This week the companies issued a joint statement announcing they had reached "a worldwide settlement". Sanrio promises to drop the character Cathy. Both will donate about £135,000 to the victims of the earthquake in Japan rather than spend money on legal fees.
Miffy was created in 1955, while Cathy has been marketed since 1976. Hello Kitty sells 50,000 branded products in nearly 60 countries.
