Kanye West Sues COINYE Digital Currency For Trademark Infringement

Well! As if there weren’t enough legal complications to keep Kanye West eye-deep in lawyer’s fees (at least he can afford it!), the rapper has now filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the creators of a digital currency called COINYE (get it?). New York Daily News reports that COINYE is a crypto-currency (like Bitcoin!), which features a cartoon illustration of West sporting shutter shades; unsurprisingly, West objects to his likeness being used in this context.

As the suit details: “In interviews with the press, defendants brazenly admit that they adopted the marks COINYE WEST, COINYE and COYE to directly associate their newly minted crypto-currency with Mr. West… With each day that passes, Mr. West’s reputation is irreparably harmed… Consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Mr. West is the source of these digital coins.”

This is the only part about which I’d be skeptical: Does anyone actually think that West is directly affiliated with this? As it turns out, the paperwork cites several tweets from fans who believed that the currency was Kanye-approved. 

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

[via New York Daily News]

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