It looks like it’s not so easy being Yeezy with the news that the rapper’s YEEZY label is now embroiled in a legal dispute with Walmart over an alleged copycat logo.
The retail giant has filed a complaint to the US Patent and Trademark Office, arguing that a proposed logo design for the rapper’s brand bears more than a passing resemblance to their famous branding.
Walmart’s logo features a starburst-like design, with the ‘Famous’ rapper’s design taking on a similar look, albeit with dotted lines as opposed to the retailer’s solid black lines. The company believes the similarity will create “confusion” and a “false suggestion of a connection” to Walmart’s brand.
“It will be damaged by the registration of [Yeezy LLC’s] mark,” Walmart alleged in the notice.
They continued: “A design of six rays symmetrically centered around a circle can be found prominently featured on the exterior and interior signage of its more than 5,000 retail outlets, through the e-commerce platform www.walmart.com, which has the second largest e-commerce market share in the U.S., and throughout its nationwide television commercials, including commercials aired during the Super Bowl.”
Walmart added that its recognisable logo “has become well known and famous as a distinctive indicator of the origin of its goods and services and a symbol of its goodwill.”
The company added that they had been in discussions with Kanye in July and August 2020 without adequate resolution.
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“To date, we have not received any conclusive information from Yeezy regarding the planned use or any cooperation from Yeezy in order to find common ground,” the letter stated.
As a result, Ye’s legal team now has until May 31 to respond to Walmart’s opposition in court.
It comes following the news that West recently raised a whopping $1 million for late rapper DMX’s family.
As per TMZ, West was involved in creating and designing a custom DMX t-shirt with Balenciaga. The t-shirt retailed for a hefty $200 per shirt and was also commissioned by Yeezy’s clothing brand.
The t-shirt which was available to purchase online during the time of DMX’s memorial service on Saturday sold out in just 24 hours and according to TMZ, Balenciaga has already stated that the plan is to return the net profits to the late rapper’s family.
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