Eminem has launched a new legal fight to protect his "Shady" brand, targeting a music label called The Real Squid Shady that recently applied to trademark its name for entertainment services.
According to filings obtained by AllHipHop, Eminem's team submitted an opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, aiming to prevent the application from being approved.
His lawyers emphasized that he has used the "Shady" name since the 1990s as part of his stage identity, and already holds extensive registrations covering clothing, musical recordings, and live performances.
Eminem owns trademarks for Shady-branded T-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, halter tops, and hats, along with multiple SLIM SHADY registrations.
His team argued that The Real Squid Shady is "highly confusingly similar" to his established marks, and that fans might assume the new brand is affiliated with the rapper.
The filings also underline Eminem's investment in the persona. He "invested a substantial amount of time, effort, and money in promoting his name" to maintain "high quality of goods and services," according to his legal team.
Attorney Mary Frances Love cautioned that allowing the Squid Shady application to proceed could create a "false association" and dilute Eminem's brand through "blurring and tarnishment."
A History of Shady Legal Battles
Eminem's legal battles aren't confined to the U.S. according to Lawyers Weekly, in Australia, the rapper has challenged the trademark of Swim Shady, a company founded by Jeremy Scott and Elizabeth Afrakoff in December 2024.
The Sydney-based company sells beach umbrellas, towels, bags, and other summer accessories. Eminem believes that the brand name could fool customers into thinking that the merchandise is associated with his very famous "Slim Shady" character.
The documents submitted to the court show that the trademark application was filed with IP Australia in March 2024. Eminem's lawyers maintain that the brand uses the Slim Shady character, with which the artist has rights and which he first presented in 1997 on the Slim Shady EP and which has since become a symbol of his commercial identity. The rapper has also lodged oppositions in the U.S. and the U.K., thus proving his global dedication to the protection of the name.
While some might consider the quarrels as unnecessary, the experts in intellectual property point out that the brands' owners have to vigorously defend their trademarks or otherwise lose their rights. IP Australia and the Trade Marks Act 1995 state that a mark can be considered infringed if it is "substantially identical or deceptively similar" to an existing registered trademark, thus potentially misleading the public.
Additionally, Eminem remains in a legal battle with "Real Housewives of Potomac" stars Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon over the Reasonably Shady podcast trademark. His lawyers warned that "confusion is inevitable" because listeners might assume the podcast is affiliated with Eminem.
These ongoing cases collectively show how closely Eminem guards his Shady identity, treating it as "sacred ground."
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