Labelmates will.i.am and Pharrell Williams have found themselves in a legal debacle due to the name of Pharrell’s newest creative venture, i am OTHER.
According to HotNewHipHop.com, the Black Eyed Peas frontman felt that the name i am OTHER is entirely too similar to the “I AM” branding he uses and went on to file a notice of opposition against Pharrell and his creative brand, stating that i am OTHER “is likely to dilute the I AM mark and the WILL.I.AM mark.”
In a statement, Pharrell explained that he attempted to “talk things out” with will.i.am before he went on to take legal action, but was unsuccessful.
“I am disappointed that Will, a fellow artist, would file a case against me,” said Pharrell. “I am someone who likes to talk things out and, in fact, I attempted to do just that on many occasions. I am surprised in how this is being handled and I am confident that Will’s trademark claims will ultimately be found to be as meritless and ridiculous as I do.”
will.i.am’s decision to take legal action against The Neptunes producer comes as quite the surprise given the history of the two musicians. Both artists have worked actively with pop star Miley Cyrus on her upcoming album and the pair also assisted Nas with his “Hip Hop Is Dead” record.
(June 26)
UPDATE: will.i.am’s lawyer clarified his client’s legal action, in a letter given to HipHopWired.com. In part, Ken Hertz, Senior Partner at Hertz Lichtenstein & Young, LLP, said, “will.i.am is not suing Pharrell Williams. What will.i.am has done is what any trademark owner must do to protect and maintain a trademark. Our client is following the standard procedures of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to defend trademarks that have been registered and that he has used widely and continuously for many years. This is a run-of-the-mill trademark procedure that has been going on since late last year.”
The rest of the statement is available at HipHopWired.com.
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That’s lame, why Pharrell? Leave the guy alone, it’s too ridiculous to even pursue legal action for that reason? Then Meek Mill could do the exact same with Mac Miller or vice versa.
You make a very good point but to clarify it would be the other way round, since Mac Miller was on the radar before Meek Mill…
Will.i.am is making a mistake here and will not win this case.
Although you do have to defend your brand for the trademark to be valid. So he may already know he has no grounds but has to do it anyway to avoid his inaction in this case being used against him in the future.
wtf are u talking about?
Im talking about how business operates and the law when it comes to copyright and trademarks. If someone else creates an I AM style brand and Will.i.am takes action against them but not Pharrell, the defendant could use Pharrells brand as an example that Will.i.am is only selectively enforcing his trademark. He doesnt need to win the case, just to show he’s trying to defend his trademark within the legal framework provided.
(p.s, original commenter, i missed vice versa so sorry for the unnecessary clarification.)
will-i-am is stupid lol …hope he loses for this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH-cIzI4iQA
its probably just their lawyers goin at it to be honest
Probably not since he said he spoke with him to get it resolved.
sucha goof, thought will was real.. guess he’s jus all about the money tho, like honestly no ones gonna get your stupid little stage name mixed up with a clothing brand thats not even really marketted to the main stream, its more of an exclusive seasonal underground brand..
What the fuck is Will.I.Am’s problem???? Why is he causing trouble like that? PHARRELL IS A FUCKING GOD!!!
Star Trak/i am OTHER for life! I already got those logos tatted on my skin!
you my friend are a dickrider…
Ofcourse, I’m not a lesbian.
Mannnnn Will.i.am is a fucking loser, go wear some parachute pants and say three words over an established house song and call it your “own” music. youve been tarnishing your reputation every time you released a song after “we be fallin up”
WILL??
Smith?…I Am Legend?
great post.
musically, I don’t think the WillIAM brand could get more diluted
Damn, you took the words right out of my mouth…lol
hey whaddaya know, a piece of excrement suing another piece of excrement !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqeIiF0DlTg
Defrx, WillIAM is being stupid. there is no confusion in this case and there is no real similarity. further simple general use words such as I AM can not by themselves be trademarked anyway. Its like trying to trademark the word “WORLD” so no one else can use it. Further if William wanted to keep his trademark valid, a court case is not a form of “use”. All he would have to do is use it. Selling clothing marketing it, CD’s. Hell even printing flyers keeps the mark valid. Suing people for simple words on the other hand only shows how Hollywood William is
I dont listen to either really but will.i.am is being a total bitch
Ain’t that the truth
FUCK WILL I AM DNT FUCK WITH MY NIGGA BITCH
Pharrell was on “Hip Hop Is Dead”???
this guy is wack.
What a faggot.
a wack reaction from william, but the first 2 albums from Black Eyed Peas are far from wack. Those were 2 solid hiphop albums. You obviously don’t know what you’re saying. You probably heard for the first time of the BEP since 2004…sigh
Naw…Joints and Jams was pretty weak bro…Falling Up sucked too
who gives a fuck if he put out a good record years ago…..he’s put out tonnes of shit music since, got the gayest haircut ever and he acts like a prick
Thats’s real ugly- especially if you try to speak LIKE MEN only to find out Will.i.am is more of a girl thats why talks broke down…lol. Just goes to show “will” is a diva because the objective word to Pharell’s label is “Other”-I personaly beleive Will the diva is using this moment to exploit it for free marketing of his shitty name and brand (whatever that is)He always struck me as a fruity dude. The industry has a saying about taking people to court and it don’t look good for Will.i.am. I can imagine fruity Will asked for future proceeds off of Pharell’s profits too just because the “I Am”- whats about the “I am Legend, and I am King” branding- I don’t see fruity Will using legal big hoots against them
both of these fellows need to be sued for trademark infringement by “the great I AM” just sayin’
Will is on his Apple ish.
Wasn’t Nas’ third album titled I Am? That nigga name is William…fuk is a Will.I.Am?.
Wow way to be a lamer Will. Pharrell is one of the most creative minds out there why would you even sorta think he was trying to bite? This is going to hurt you in the end man. You should just apologize.
They’re both bitches. If you hear a cowbell, falsetto hook or pink shirt its probably one of these two twinks.
those pink shirts are ruining hip hop
HIP Hop is ruining pink shirts damnit!
Will I Am is dope and will win the case. Pharrell is wack.
there both wahck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExH5VU5iq9Q
That’s straight up bullshit. I am other didn’t even evoke any sort of connection in my mind with will.i.am’s uncreative ass name.
uhuhhuuhuhuuh
uhuhhuhuh
lol….everyone knows that Kanye has an identical twin sibling
will. i am is a faggot and no one bought his album cus hes a queer.
lol will.i.am suing someone for stealing some of HIS shit this time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLIbtbd32jI
officially lost all respect for this fag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISBqD11l66I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pv7GZN_sPM
what the fuck HipHopDX.
Pharrell was not on Hip Hop is Dead, where do you get this information?
dumb asses
I am what ever I say I am…I Am Legend…I Am that I Am…I am… (beyonce’s album) I am (Nas’s album)??? I am (movie) William STFU!
will.i.am.going.to.sue.you for using the word “i am” like 5 times in one sentence.
will I a gay motha fucka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EGp3ZOKj3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo8tr4DjVaM
“According to HotNewHipHop.com, the Black Eyed Peas frontman felt that the name i am OTHER is entirely too similar to the I AM
When I saw that I nearly puked… Fucked William…
will “whateva the fuck ya name is” has also been a hoe ass nikka in my eyes.. str8 pop garbage maker who’s more concerned about money than artisty… I’m not shock at all… fake ass ppl have fake ass tendencies
Will i am is definitely gay.
well i am going to sue you because “Definitely” is the name of my album and you cant use that word. my lawyer will be in contact with you
William’s career must be in a fragile state if he’s willing to be this petty…he’s a talented guy too…it’s sad that people can be such losers
are you really calling Pharrell petty because he wants to start a venture called I AM Other and will.i.am is mad because is made because he used the words “i am”?!?
how does that make any sense? will.i.am will lose this because “i am” is not copy righted
you must not have read a single thing this guy said. He was calling will petty, moron.
William’s career must be in a fragile state if he’s willing to be this petty
he said williams which made me think he was talking about Pharrell williams. Will.i.am has periods in his name.
nigga i hate this nigga more den i hate knaye west …talentleess fags
will.i.am……w.e.a.k
Tweet from Will.I.Am
i.am not suing @Pharrell & I NEVER WAS.. What i.am doing is… #iamSCHOLARSHIP sending kids to school debt free. go2 http://www.iamANGELfoundation.org
will i am is a bitter ol’ nigga
Will.i.am is just mad Pharrell’s jeans are tighter then his. LOL
#Suspect DL Bros
this site has old old news, he even said he was not suing pharrell already ugh!
will i am is such a faggot
I wish Eazy-E never discovered that Black Eyed Pussy
still i am, tighter the pants on Will I Am
Just change it to I is Other… Am I Other… OR this simple shit nigga! fuck outa here wit this BS..
Apple is counter suing Will i am for the use of i, it is too similar.. lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPBKtyE0X9U
FAG FAG FAG
Will.I.Am = producer of faggot pop tunes singing about being a ‘heartbreaker’
Pharrell = producer of faggot pop tunes that makes legends like Snoop and Jigga sound softer than Britney Spears (listen to Jay-Z – Change Clothes for evidence.)
So basically, why would any of the hip hop heads on this site give a single fuck less about what either of them are doing (except Dental Dam Boy who probably loves them both)
They are both talented.
pharrell is a genius. just because you dont like his taste in beats doesnt mean he isnt good.
commercial success is good too. he is laughing to the bank
you hanging out the window just so we can see you, But you ain’t hangin’ out the window when you in that G2 or that G3 or G4 like we do… STAR TRAK
Will.I.am is a fucking loser. Pharrell actually has something really good and unique going with the i am OTHER brand, you can tell he puts his heart into it and the content is always interesting. A breath of fresh air in the fucked up climate of bullshit in the rest of the industry.
Fuck will.i.am, the dude is such hypocrite too. Doesn’t want someone else to use a name which isn’t even all that similar to his at all, and yet HE doesn’t mind “sampling” entire songs without the owners permission and selling them off as his own on his “album”.
Fucking faggot, please shoot yourself in the face.
fuck will i am not relevant! he is the worst thing to happen to pussy soft pop music ever! someone shoot him
William is the fucking worst. garbage and a bitch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T8E09aAOIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDYSLX_2vr0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zP7nnp-5I
Since when did Pharrell have anything to do with ‘Hip-Hop Is Dead’? I swear hiphopdx is run by people who know nothing about hip-hop
will.i.am produced on “Hip Hop Is Dead”. so who knows nothing about hip hop?
knows nothing is a double negative by the way
“Know nothing” is not a double negative. A double negative would be something like “Don’t know nothing.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1dxE1tVoA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMKXheW_pZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H28uibSLdfg
http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/ea/MTME1_Reflector_camera.jpg
Yeah. Because “I Am” Is The Most Creative Title Of Anything Ever. will.i.am Is God Damn Garbage.