Family of Ol' Dirty Bastard claims they own the 'full right, title, and interest in and to the name and likeness' for anything related to the late rapper.
- Jul 12, 2018
AceShowbiz - The family of late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard have fired off a cease and desist notice to Lil Wayne over his new trademarking bid.
Officials at Wayne's label Young Money Entertainment applied for the rights to the phrase "New Dirty Bastard" for use in record production, music production and many other entertainment-related services last month.
However, relatives and estate bosses for the tragic Wu-Tang Clan star have expressed concerns about the striking similarities between their registered Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB) moniker and Wayne's proposed trademark, and their lawyers have since fired off a legal missive to the 35 year old to shut down his request.
In the letter, obtained by The Blast, representatives for the estate of ODB, real name Russell Jones, explain that they own the "full right, title, and interest in and to the name and likeness" for anything related to the Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are) hitmaker, and consider the Young Money filing to be a clear violation of trademark law.
They insist the trademark will cause confusion among consumers and are seeking the immediate withdrawal of all "New Dirty Bastard" applications. They are also demanding Wayne dump plans to use the phrasing in any capacity.
Sources tell the outlet ODB's reps had initially reached out to the Lollipop star to seek clarity on the trademark's purpose, but they didn't receive a response, and now they have vowed to "take appropriate legal action" if Wayne does not drop the request.
Wayne has yet to comment on the legal threat.
ODB died in 2004 from an accidental drug overdose.
