Uh Oh! They say success comes with many things and obviously “Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems” is abound: Lawsuits Spark After Empire Gets Sued By A Same Name Record Company and now FOX Network is battling it out in court over the right to continue using the name!
Lawsuits Spark After Empire Gets Sued By A Same Name Record Company–Empire Distribution Inc.–that’s actually worked with Hip Hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, N.O.R.E. and more according to So Hip Hop. But the Associated Press reports FOX has filed a counter-suit to the alternate Empire, who asked for $8 million for using their name, or a cooler $5 million if the show uses its artists as regulars (can’t knock the hustle). Meanwhile FOX feels the whole thing is ridiculous and is now fighting for the name, literally.
Empire Distribution claims the show’s title is creating confusion with its artists and the network should either pay or change the show’s title. “It isn’t just a fictional show,” Empire Distribution CEO Ghazi Shami wrote in a statement released Tuesday. “They are functioning as a record label in the real world.”
The “real” San Francisco based-Empire record label that’s ‘feeling some type of way’ from the Lawsuits Spark After Empire Gets Sued By A Same Name Record Company says it had a trademark on the name since before the show aired. While their initial application was rejected, they say they had gotten an approval in January before the show premiered. Anyone can understand the heat on their side, obviously FOX’s Empire has been a record breaking success and even charted hit-number one music. The record label is also suing because they feel the character portrayals are damaging their image in “real life” (paging Suge Knight, lol):
“The violent tendencies and homophobia of Lyon’s character threaten to tarnish Empire Distribution’s business, Empire Distribution’s attorney Michael Hobbs Jr., wrote in a Feb. 16 letter.”
Still, Lawsuits Spark After Empire Gets Sued By A Same Name Record Company and FOX is sticking by their biggest guns, determined to not have to cough up ANY of their coins and to keep the lit name on the marquee. The FOX counter-suit claims “Empire Distribution’s conduct threatens to place a cloud over Fox’s intellectual property rights in the fictional television series ‘Empire’ and the Soundtrack Music.” Their lawyers are confident its just a case of copyright infringement and will cut through the drama…still, sounds like a #hotmess!
Let’s say for some reason FOX lost the suit…what should the new name be? Would you keep watching or were you on the side of 50 Cent or Shad Moss aka Bow Wow anyway? Is FOX too smart to fall for this and will it only make ratings go up like BET President Stephen Hill says?
Check the vid and the gallery up top!
