Posted by | Cyrena Rose
ShadowAndAct is reporting that musician/producer Pharrell Williams filed a lawsuit on Monday in federal court in Manhattan. He’s seeking a declaratory judgment of non-infringement ~ in a nutshell he wants a court to rule he has not violated any trademark that will.i.am owns for the phrase “I AM.”
will.i.am has owned the “I AM” trademark since 2001. He filed objections in March and May against Pharrell Williams’ company, i am OTHER, that launched in 2010. He uses “I AM” for his businesses, including his charity foundation I AM ANGEL.
Pharrell has received numerous cease-and-desist letters from attorney’s representing will.i.am, whose real name is William Adams, demanding that he (Pharrell) stop using versions of the phrase “I AM” in his (Pharrell’s) iamother.com online media site.
Pharrell’s suit states:
“The I AM OTHER mark means ‘I am something else,’ leaving what that ‘else’ is to the imagination of the consumer. It certainly does not mean “I am Will’ or in any way suggest Defendants or the WILL.I.AM mark. The inclusion of the respective terms ‘WILL’ and ‘OTHER,’ as well as the location of ‘I AM’ in each mark, evoke considerable different commercial impressions making consumer confusion unlikely.”
Further, the lawsuit claimed that will.i.am’s trademark for “I AM” covers clothing specifically and is “relatively weak” because similar trademarks already exist.
The lawsuit asked the court to declare that the phrase “I Am Other” does not “infringe, dilute or unfairly compete” with Will.i.am.
RC fans, what are your…
