Music mogul JAY-Z‘s Roc Nation entertainment company has responded to a hefty lawsuit thrown its way from Iconix Brand Group. Rather than fall back, the high-profile business has clapped back over a New Era hat battle.
According to reports, Roc Nation Apparel Group’s now countersuing Iconix Brand Group over a 2007 Roc Nation logo dispute.
RNAG attorney Andrew Bart argues that while Rocaware Licensing sold the Rocaware business to Iconix in 2007, Roc Nation wasn’t founded until the next year and therefore was not included in the asset purchase agreement. “[I]n 2013 Plaintiffs wrongfully took the position that the APA had conveyed to them the right to sell apparel under the ROC NATION mark,” writes Bart, adding that a 2013 consent agreement gave plaintiffs the ability to use and register the mark for “limited categories of goods including apparel subject to Roc Nation’s control over the quality of the goods produced under the ROC NATION mark as well as other conditions and limitations.” (Hollywood Reporter)
The company’s legal muscle also said a separate 2013 agreement gave Roc Nation an exclusive license to use the logo on various licensed products.
“Since RNAG does not own or operate manufacturing facilities directly, Section 10(i) of the License expressly authorized RNAG to seek out and engage third-party manufacturers to produce Licensed Products, provided that such third-party manufacturers signed a Manufacturer’s Agreement,” writes Bart. When that license expired, he argues, the parties were actively discussing the terms of a new deal and RNAG continued operations under an implied license “to ensure that ROC NATION-branded apparel remained available to the existing customer base pending the parties’ restructuring of their business relationship.” (Billboard)
Back in May, buzz developed over JAY-Z and Major League Baseball catching heat over the Roc Nation logo.
Sounds bizarre, but Iconix Brand Group says Jay does NOT own the logo anymore. In docs obtained by TMZ, Iconix says it paid a whopping $204 million for it, and therefore has control over where the logo pops up … especially when it comes to merchandise. Iconix has beef with the ROC logo appearing on MLB hats, shirts, hoodies, etc — a deal it says it never approved. (TMZ)
Earlier this year, buzz developed about MLB and JAY’s Roc Nation company teaming up.
New Era Cap x MLB have partnered with Roc Nation to release their first-ever collaboration on officially licensed MLB caps. The collaboration has three different launches and cap drops – MLB’s Opening Day, Summer and then fall time to baseball’s postseason. The first 59FIFTY collection is now available, exclusively in select Lids stores, Lids.com, NewEraCap.com and in New Era Flagship stores in the U.S. and globally in South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Brazil, London, Mexico and Canada. Each caps retail at $50. (The Source)
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from SOHH.com https://www.sohh.com/roc-nation-wont-go-without-fight-swings-back-new-era-nightmare/
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