Outkast are suing rapper and producer Ovrkast for trademark infringement over his “nearly identical” name.
The hip-hop duo is claiming that Ovrkast reneged on a prior agreement to change his stage name.
In a lawsuit filed in Atlanta federal court, André 3000 and Big Boi accused the lesser-known California artist, whose real name is Silas Wilson, of “knowingly, wilfully, intentionally, and maliciously” trying to link himself to Outkast.
“Defendant’s unauthorised use of the nearly identical Ovrkast mark has already damaged and will continue to damage plaintiff,” lawyers for the pair wrote in the complaint, obtained by Billboard.
Outkast’s lawyers state that they sent Wilson a cease-and-desist more than a year ago, demanding he change the name. After negotiations, he agreed to swap it out for Overkxst, which was approved by the duo. But he never made the switch.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Ovrkast commented on the lawsuit, “I thought it was love?”, tagging André 3000 and Big Boi in the caption.
Outkast points out that Ovrkast himself has acknowledged the similarities in names are confusing to fans. In an interview last year with Rolling Stone, the producer admitted, “The worst thing I get is like, ‘The ni**a think he Outkast.’ They read Ovrkast Outkast. They’re like, oh my God, I thought they said Outkast. And it’s like, it don’t.”
The Hey Ya pair previously sued an electronic dance music duo calling itself ATLiens, the same name as one of its best-known songs. That case settled in February on confidential terms.
