ation , ▁Phill ips ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁near ▁bank rupt cy , ▁ultimately ▁forcing ▁him ▁to ▁sell ▁El vis ▁Pres ley ' s ▁Sun ▁contract ▁to ▁R CA ▁for ▁$ 3 5 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁funds ▁to ▁sett le ▁his ▁deb ts . ▁On ▁June ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Jet ▁reported ▁that : ▁" The ▁Sun ▁Record ▁Company ▁of ▁M emph is ▁agreed ▁to ▁pay ▁$ 2 , 0 8 0 ▁to ▁a ▁Texas ▁Rec ording ▁firm ▁because ▁its ▁bl ues ▁t une , ▁Bear ▁Cat , ▁is ▁too ▁similar ▁to ▁H ound ▁Dog . ▁Lion ▁Publishing ▁Company ▁of ▁Houston , ▁Tex ., ▁won ▁the ▁out - of - court ▁settlement ▁after ▁cont ending ▁in ▁a ▁court ▁suit ▁that ▁Bear ▁Cat ▁was ▁a ▁" cons cious ▁im itation " ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁recording ▁with ▁" only ▁minor ▁variations ." ▁Sam ▁C . ▁Phill ips ▁of ▁Sun ▁Record ▁agreed ▁to ▁pay ▁H ound ▁Dog ▁own ers ▁two ▁c ents ▁per ▁record ▁for ▁ 7 9 , 0 0 0 ▁w ax ings ▁of ▁Bear ▁Cat ▁already ▁sold ▁and ▁two ▁c ents ▁a ▁record ▁for ▁future ▁sales . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 8 ▁Rob ey ▁wrote ▁to ▁Phill ips ▁again , ▁thank ing ▁him ▁" kind ly ▁for ▁your ▁co - operation ▁in ▁this ▁matter ", ▁but ▁Phill ips ▁still ▁refused ▁to ▁purchase ▁a ▁mechanical ▁license ▁for ▁Thomas ' ▁" B ear ▁Cat ". ▁Rob ey ▁then ▁instruct ed ▁his ▁company ▁lawyer ▁Ir ving ▁Marcus ▁to