Sick Of It All Sues Supreme, Mobb Deep and Others for Copyright Infringement Over 35-Year-Old Logo
The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages and the prevention of further usage of the mark.
Supreme, Mobb Deep, Prodigy’s Estate and more have been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit from the hardcore punk band Sick Of It All (SOIA), who allege that the aforementioned entities have used their registered trademark logo for 35 years without their permission.
According to court documents, plaintiff Bush Baby Zamagate, Inc., the owner of all intellectual property rights associated with SOIA, filed the lawsuit against Mobb Deep’s Havoc (Kejuan Muchita), the estate of the hip-hop duo’s late Prodigy (Albert Johnson) and Supreme on Wednesday, October 11. The documents state that the “cases arises out of Defendants’ improper and illegal use of a nearly identical logo mark to Plaintiff’s inherently distinctive, incontestable and famous logo.”
The allegedly infringing mark, dubbed the “Alleyway Crew” dragon, features a curvaceous fire-breathing motif and has been used by Mobb Deep on several occasions since at least 1997, per an interview with MTV. SOIA, which has already requested that Mobb Deep halt their usage of the logo twice in the past, has used “nearly identical” iconography on musical recording goods, live musical performances and related goods and services since as early as 1987.
Supreme was served alongside Mobb Deep for using the logo in an apparel collaboration with the rappers in June of this year. Supreme boasts a longstanding relationship with the Queens-hailing duo, having featured Prodigy on a photo tee in 2011 and later honoring the late rapper on an SS18 design.
Bush Baby Zamagate, Inc. is requesting compensatory damages and that the defendants be barred from “using the Infringing Mark or any other mark or marks confusingly similar thereto, alone or in combination with other words, names, styles, titles, designs or marks in connection with the provision of any goods and services.”
Mobb Deep and Supreme have not offered a statement on the lawsuit. See the filing below.
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