Beyoncé, Jay Z, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Rihanna, have teamed up to sue retailer ElevenParis, which they’ve accused of violating their copyrights and trademarks.
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A complaint was filed on Tuesday (October 6th) at a federal court in New York alleging that the company ElevenParis has ignored warnings previously issued by the artists to stop the items in question from being sold.
The lawsuit is asking for an order barring Eleven Paris from selling products bearing the plaintiffs’ names, likenesses or intellectual property, and for unspecified damages.
Among the products named in the suit are T-shirts that feature the hooded faces of Beyoncé and Williams and one of Rihanna with her index finger held up like a mustache. Among the questionable merchandise are T-shirts, cell phone cases, backpacks and more memorabilia baring such phrases as “Kanye Is My Homie” and “Pharrell Is My Brotha”.
“Defendants [i.e. ElevenParis] have willfully traded upon the goodwill and notoriety of Plaintiffs, arguably a few of the most famous musical artists and entrepreneurs in the world”, the suit reads, also citing that lyrics were improperly used on the brand’s merchandise.
The lawsuit said that Eleven Paris “purposefully uses marks that are confusingly similar to plaintiffs’ respective trademarks”.
ElevenParis said in a statement on Wednesday that negotiations had been under way with these celebrities for almost a year and were continuing.
“Eleven Paris is determined to find a fair and balanced agreement with them and their legal representatives”, it said.
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French fashion brand Eleven Paris, home to popular celebrity and fashion designer message apparel, is facing a massive lawsuit at the moment.
