In case you haven’t heard, Rihanna is no longer just a singer/pop music icon. Over the past several years, the star has released a cosmetics brand as well as a fashion line in collaboration with Puma, furthering her fame and success in the way of all pop stars nowadays. No longer is the music enough. Everyone’s got to have a brand. Apparently, that’s where the real money is. Call it what you will, but you can’t call it unwise. After all, music is a fickle business, and artists often struggle to make the money they deserve due to contract issues and Internet streaming services. With that in mind, more power to Rihanna!
Long winded aside, well, aside, it now seems that Rihanna’s fashion brand may have found itself in some legal trouble already.
Freedom United, an American clothing brand, is suing Puma, the parent company of Rihanna’s Fenty University line of merchandise, over the use of their “FU” logo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ3oAijngkg/?utm_source=ig_embed
Apparently, Freedom United owns the copyright for the initials. After sending Puma a cease-and-desist letter back in January, the brand is now reportedly deciding whether or not to sue Puma and demanding that it stop production of any and all merchandise that uses the FU initials, as well as reveal data regarding revenue collected through the sale of said items.
In response, Rihanna’s brand is defending itself by saying that its use of the FU initials cannot constitute copyright infringement because the fonts differ. Also, Fenty University is asserting that FU is not unique to Freedom United, despite the brand’s copyright.
If this turns into a lawsuit over copyright infringement, both Puma and Rihanna could have some trouble on their hands. You know what they say—when it rains it pours. In this case, Rihanna better have her umbrella on hand.
What’s that you say? “That song is from 2009, you hack?” We know we’re outdated, and we’re working on it. Please, be patient.
