Mark Longo, popularly often called Squirrel Dad, has taken authorized motion in opposition to Binance for what he describes as unauthorized use of his mental property, together with photos and emblems tied to Peanut the Squirrel.
The animal in query, stylized as “P’Nut,” was a male jap gray squirrel rescued by Longo in 2017. It grew to become an web sensation by means of a well-liked Instagram account, “P.NUT Sanctuary,” which chronicled its antics.
Nonetheless, the creature’s story turned tragic when, on October 30, 2024, the New York State Division of Environmental Conservation seized it from Longo’s house and euthanized it after testing for rabies.
Allegations Towards Binance
In his letter to Binance, shared in a December 16 post on X, Longo accused Binance of utilizing PNUT branding for cryptocurrency-related companies with out his specific permission.
The animal rights advocate mentioned the crypto alternate had unlawfully exploited the “Peanut the Squirrel” trademark, PNUT logos, and related imagery, which he has owned since he first rescued the animal. Longo is demanding that Binance cease this infringement, affirm compliance by December 17, and comply with commit no additional violations sooner or later.
He claimed that such actions led the alternate’s clients to mistakenly affiliate PNUT-branded meme cash offered on the platform together with his conservation initiatives.
If Binance fails to conform, Longo reserves the appropriate to hunt authorized treatments, together with claims for damages underneath the U.S. Copyright Act, which supplies penalties of as much as $150,000 for wilful infringement. The alternate had not but responded to the cease-and-desist on the time of writing.
Peanut-Themed Meme Tokens Undergo Completely different Fates
Longo beforehand launched the Justice for Pnut and Fred (JUSTICE) token on Pump.enjoyable after criticizing the crypto neighborhood for cashing in on his trauma by creating the Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) coin quickly after the favored rodent’s loss of life.
Whereas PNUT’s general value skyrocketed to greater than $1 billion when Binance listed it alongside a number of different meme cash, JUSTICE ended up shedding greater than 99% of its $53.8 million market cap days after its introduction amid claims of great promoting stress.
At the moment, the coin is up 34%, with a valuation of $373,026 per CoinGecko. Then again, PNUT recorded a 4.1% dip within the final 24 hours, however its market cap continues to be above $1 billion.
One other coin launched by Longo quickly after the JUSTICE debacle, dubbed Justice for Peanut (JFP), additionally suffered the same destiny to its predecessor, shedding 67% of its worth hours after going dwell. Whereas its worth is sort of 70% under its all-time excessive of $0.001705, achieved on December 13, 2024, the entire worth of its circulating provide stands at a way more respectable $2.2 million.
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