World Trademark Review write..
Lil Nas X spoofs trademark dispute trial – Back in March, WTR reported on Nike filing a lawsuit against art collective MSCHF in relation to its Satan Shoes collaboration with musician Lil Nas X. At the time, the pop star had announced a collaboration with MSCHF on a limited-edition product called ‘Satan Shoes’ – a footwear item created from a modified pair of Nike Air Max 97s that featured a pentagram pendant, a Bible verse added as decoration, an “air bubble sole containing 60 cubic centimeters (2.03 fluid ounces) of red ink, and ‘one drop’ of human blood” (taken from a member of the MSCHF art collective). The satanic-themed item caused an outcry from various political and religious public figures, who hit out at both the musician and Nike, even though the sportswear company was not involved in the collaboration. Among these, Republican political candidate Amber Krabach tweeted: “Dear Nike, this isn’t hard. When someone asks you if they can make ‘Satan Shoes’ under your brand… you say no.” Arguably due to the backlash, Nike filed a lawsuit against MSCHF (although Lil Nas X was not named as a defendant) at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Nike was seeking injunctive relief, destruction of the shoes, an order affirming its trademark rights, costs and various kinds of damages. This week, Rolling Stone reports that Lil Nas X has released a teaser for a new song in which the star “finds himself ‘on trial’ in a spoof of the recent legal debacle over his Satan shoes”. In the short clip, the musician plays “the defendant, the judge, the lawyers for both the prosecution and the defense, and at least one of the members of the jury, [and] the prosecuting attorney states the trial isn’t so much about the shoes, but rather Lil Nas X’s sexuality”. (TJL)
