Future‘s Freebandz Productions, LLC and Sony Music have settled a lawsuit against a creative agency which shares the name of the rapper’s eighth studio album, High Off Life.
The lawsuit was initially filed in October 2020 by High Off Life, LLC, an Atlanta-based firm owned by impartial artist Z. Rich (actual identify Zach Richards). The firm started promoting High Off Life-branded clothes in 2009 earlier than increasing into internet hosting live shows and providing inventive providers regionally.
High Off Life, LLC additionally shares Hip Hop-centered content material to a YouTube channel referred to as High Off Life TV. According to Billboard the corporate’s trademark infringement lawsuit claimed that the advertising and marketing marketing campaign supporting Future’s album made the small agency almost not possible to find on-line.
“Overnight, Defendants destroyed HOL’s investment of many years and many thousands of dollars into building consumer recognition.”
In April 2022, Sony Music tried to get the lawsuit dismissed primarily based on a authorized precedent referred to as the Rogers Test, which says {that a} trademark can be utilized in film, tv present and music titles, so long as the proprietor of the brand new copyright doesn’t mislead customers, and so long as the trademarked identify has one thing to do with the physique of labor.
At the time, U.S. District Judge Scott Hardy stated that he couldn’t decide concerning the validity of the lawsuit with out letting each side current their case.
“Given that further development of a factual record is necessary before conducting an in-depth analysis of Defendants’ First Amendment defense, the Court declines to further consider Defendants’ First Amendment arguments at this stage of the proceedings,” Hardy wrote in court docket paperwork.
He additionally identified that the Rogers Test would solely defend Freebandz Productions and Sony Music’s use of the High Off Life identify because the album’s title, and wouldn’t influence any resolution having to do with the sale of merch for Future’s album.
On Tuesday (January 3), the events filed a movement to dismiss the case, notifying the courts that they’d reached a settlement. However, they didn’t make Hardy privy of the phrases of the settlement.
HipHopDX has reached out to High Off Life, LLC for a press release.
Future’s ‘I Never Liked You’ Tops Kevin Durant’s Best Albums Of 2022 List
Released in May 2020, High Off Life turned Future’s seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart. After 12 songs from the album debuted on the Hot 100, Future attained the fourth-most chart entries in Billboard historical past, pushing Nicki Minaj and Elvis Presley out of the place with 110 charting songs in his discography to their respective 109.
Future’s chart success continued together with his newest album, 2022’s I NEVER LIKED YOU, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 222,000 first-week items, whereas its hit single “WAIT FOR U” that includes Drake and Tems additionally debuted within the high spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The music ranked as one of many greatest hits of the 12 months because it gained Best Collaboration on the BET Hip Hop Awards, Favorite Hip Hop Song on the American Music Awards and was lately topped Apple Music’s most streamed music of 2022.
I NEVER LIKED YOU has additionally garnered three of Future’s 4 2023 Grammy Nominations, together with a nod for Best Rap Album.
The venture allowed the Freebandz boss to change into the one rapper to spend all of final 12 months on the Hot 100 chart.
Future beat out quite a few different big-time rappers together with Drake, who remained on the chart for 51 weeks. Other high contenders included Lil Baby, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, 21 Savage, Latto, and Lil Nas X.
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