Freeway Ricky Ross
*As expected, former drug trafficker “Freeway” Ricky Ross has filed a new lawsuit against the rapper Rick Ross, after his previous trademark infringement case was thrown out.
Freeway Rick Ross, who spent over 10 years in prison, lost his trademark infringement case after a judge ruled that he could not properly trademark his name due to the wide use of it in magazines, television, and media.
In an interview with BET.com, Freeway Rick says he’s hired a new law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and he’s gearing up to present his case in California state court on May 2.
“We always knew our case was stronger in the state than it was in the feds. California state law really protects people with their names and their likenesses,” he tells BET. “So we knew that was stronger inside California than it was in the feds, but we wanted to go the big route first then work our way down.”
In the previous suit, filed in June 2010, the real Ross was seeking compensation from the rapper Ross, Jay-Z, Def Jam Records, Universal Music Group and others, for trademark violations, unfair competition and misappropriation of his publicity rights.
The judge dismissed the case on the grounds that the real Ross did not show enough evidence of secondary usage by the rapper.
Rapper Rick Ross
Now with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, on his side, Freeway still plans to name the same defendants, but threatened to include Warner Music Group if they use his name as part of their recent partnership with the rapper Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group.
“I’ll slap a lawsuit on them as well,” Ross promises. “They better not put my name on his product or I’ma be after them, too. I ain’t scared of none of them.”
The real Ross is confident that in this second round of legal proceedings he’ll regain ownership of his name in order for it to be used in a better light.
“We’re both teaching two different messages,” says Freeway Ross. “He’s teaching my old life: sell drugs, disrespect women, all the things that really have our country in shambles. I’m teaching uplifting values, education, literacy. He’s teaching illiteracy.”
I KNOW people in here will bash the real Rick Ross but he is right. The rapper Rick Ross (he’s cool with me) TOTALLY TOOK HIS NAME AND IDENTITY. Where they do that at? I know rappers take on monikers but he totally took on dude’s persona and he should be compensated.
I agree that it’s fucked up that rapper Ross is running around using the real Ross’ name, but the fact is that if the real Ross didn’t have his name trademarked then he has no case. Rapper Ross should do the man right considering he ain’t done half the shit that the real Ross has and to make a come-up using this man’s name, who by the way all street cats are very familiar with, while not feeling the need to show the man any real love on the financial side is lame. I don’t matter though. People in the industry and in the streets won’t demand that rapper Ross do the right thing for the real Ross.
I don’t know…I have mixed views about this. Yeah, it was his name but Rappers take the name of criminals all the time. On the other hand, The real Rick Ross didn’t patent his name, so it was free game. They should have been able to come to some mutual agreement.
Rappers take on criminal’s monikers/nicknames, but very few take on their “real name”.
Hopefully he will win. That is his name and likeness being portrayed.
I agree jb.