Entertainment
Don’t mess with this squad! Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Pharrell SUE fashion brand for using their names and faces on clothing without permission
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Five of the biggest names in music are taking legal action against a clothing retailer over claims that the brand did not seek their approval before using their names, lyrics, and photos on their products.
Beyoncé, her husband Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams have all filed suit against the French clothing company Eleven Paris, alleging that the trendy retailer unlawfully sold merchandise with their likeness or intellectual property.
The lawsuit, which was filed in New York on Tuesday, cites 58 alleged violations including a T-shirt that says Kanye is My Homie, a backpack that says RiRi and includes her birth year, and a shirt including Beyoncé’s song lyrics: ‘A diva is a female version of a hustler.’
Someone’s in trouble: Beyoncé and Jay Z are two of five celebrities suing French clothing brand Eleven Paris for selling clothing and accessories with their names, faces, or lyrics on them
Ignoring lawyers: The brand has sold several items with Beyoncé’s face and nickname despite written requests to cease and desist
Backing down? Eleven Paris has also sold items with Jay Z’s face and the name Hova, though none of the items are currently available on its website
The suit goes on to claim that the plaintiffs have even sent the brand written warnings, but they were still selling ‘dozens of infringing merchandise’ at their New York City store as of the day of filing.
One of the brand’s most popular designs features pictures of celebrities – including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Kanye, and Pharrell – digitally altered to include fingers with mustaches drawn on them held in front of their faces.
The stars allege that these products do damage to their brands, and requests that Eleven Paris stop selling the offending products and pay damages.
Braking the rules: Eleven Paris has made money off of shirts with Kanye’s face and the words ‘Kanye is My Homie’ without his permission
Trademark issues: Besides printing Rihanna’s face, the brand has used her nickname, RiRi, to sell goods
To argue that Eleven Paris is damaging their reputations, though, each of the celebrities has had to establish exactly what their reputations are, writing out their various accomplishments in the lawsuit.
They all list their accolades over the course of one-and-a-half to two pages each, mentioning the awards they’ve won and how they influence others.
‘Beyoncé is commonly regarded as an international fashion icon and influencer,’ the suit reads. ‘She has been nominated as the Teen Choice Female Fashion Icon, and has partnered with several of [the] world’s top brands.’
It goes on: ‘Kanye sets trends for everything he touches.’
Describing Pharrell’s career, it says: ‘The recent phenomena of Pharrell’s critically acclaimed song Happy and his distinctive, oversized mountain hat, which has sparked national media attention, illustrate Pharrell’s unique style.’
While none of the plaintiffs have publicly worn the Eleven Paris’ clothing in the past, the brand is a favorite among some celebrities – including a few of the suing stars’ relatives.
As first pointed out by The Fashion Law, Kanye’s sister-in-law, Kylie Jenner, shared a shot of herself wearing one of the line’s shirts on Instagram last month.
Her tee, which read ‘Karl is my father’, refers to Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld – who, in addition to other stars that appear on the brand’s products like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, did not join the suit.
‘Wearing one of my favorite brands,’ Kylie captioned the picture.
Beyoncé’s sister Solange has even modeled for Eleven Paris, and her picture still appears on their website. She also posed for the cover of the brand’s magazine.
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