Will.i.am is suing Pharrell, claiming he’s a thief.
According to the official court documents that were obtained by Rolling Stone, Will.i.am thinks Pharrell’s “I Am Other” brand is “confusingly similar” to his own trademark “I AM” and he believes the “registration of the mark… is likely to dilute the I AM mark and the WILL.I.AM mark.”
Will sent a cease and desist letter, demanding that Pharrell stop using “I AM.” Pharrell filed a lawsuit, asking a judge to protect his right to use the “I AM” moniker.
According to TMZ: “In new legal docs, Will.i.am is countersuing Pharrell, claiming the dude has a long, copycat history. Will.i.am notes … Pharrell co-founded a record label called Star Trak Entertainment — sound familiar?
But wait, there’s more. Will also notes Pharrell is being sued by singer Marvin Gaye’s family for allegedly ripping off “Got to Give it Up” for his summer smash “Blurred Lines.”
As for using “I AM,” Will points out it will confuse people because they’re both on the same record label and they have similar musical styles.”
It is unclear how the lawsuits are impacting the producers’ friendship, however Pharrell told Rolling Stone in June he was disappointed by Will.i.am’s actions.
“I am disappointed that Will, a fellow artist, would file a case against me. 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 [sic].”
