After filing a lawsuit against Jay-Z for trademark infringement, former WWE wrestler Diamond Dallas Page has spoken out on the case.
The wrestler started legal proceedings nearly three weeks ago, naming Jigga and his label Roc-A-Fella in the suit. Page claims that the Diamond Cutter Trademark was originally his hand sign, and wants a judge to prohibit Jay and the ROC from using the sign. He’s also seeking unspecified damages.
Diamond Dallas, born Page Falkinberg, recently told TMZ.com that he did not initially intend on suing Jay-Z because of the respect he has for the rapper. His first reaction was that Hov was a fan of his, and he thought, ”How cool is that?!”
Once Page realized that Hov was claiming the sign as his own, he became dismayed and earlier this summer, started talks with Jigga’s camp.
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After negotiations broke down between Page’s legal team and Jay-Z’s attorneys, the wrestler felt obliged to take action.
Page’s lawyer, George Gallegos, says Page is seeking legal action to protect his livelihood.
“People would come up to him and ask him if he was letting Jay-Z use it or if he had licensed it to him,” Gallegos says of the symbol, which his client claims to have created in 1996 and copyrighted years ago.
“People [would also] say he’s using Jay-Z’s sign.”
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“If you look at [Jay-Z’s] ‘Encore’ video, you can see fans using the ‘Diamond Cutter’ sign, and in video of Diamond Dallas… If you only looked at the fans from both those tapes, you’d think it’s the same person performing,”Gallegos says. “Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records use this symbol to promote themselves, to promote their artists, to promote their music and to promote their fanbase. People have come to recognize [Page by this symbol], and the way that it’s being used by Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella is taking value away from it and creating confusion upon the public.”
The Diamond Cutter sign is used to market Page’s merchandise, from T-shirts to action figures, and was most recently featured on the cover of his workout book, Yoga for Regular Guys.
Jay-Z’s attorney and Roc-A-Fella Records could not be reached for comment.
