S. Samuel
Rap mogul Jay-Z has reportedly sued Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz for naming a nightclub in the Dominican Republic after his popular 40/40 Club venues.
Reports of the lawsuit landed online Thursday (April 15) evening.
Jay-Z and Juan Perez own 40/40 Clubs in New York City, Atlantic City and Las Vegas and have plans to open further venues in Tokyo and Macau. They have accused Ortiz of trading on the fame, value and goodwill of their name through his club Forty/Forty and its website, www.fortyforty.net, which they say has caused their business “marketplace confusion and damage,” the lawsuit said. (ABC News)
The suit also claims Ortiz had prior knowledge of Jay’s club before naming his night spots.
“David Ortiz is fully aware of plaintiff’s Manhattan 40/40 Club, since he had been a patron there on several occasions long before he opened his infringing Forty/Forty Club,” said the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court. Ortiz had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. (Reuters)
Jay owns multiple 40/40 Club venues throughout the United States.
The 40/40 Club is a chain of All-American sports bars and lounges owned by hip hop mogul Jay-Z and partners Desiree Gonzalez and Juan Pérez. The name is borrowed from the baseball term used to denote the exclusive group of Major League Baseball players who have achieved the rare individual feat of recording 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. (Wikipedia)
His venue is also known for being popular among entertainers.
The venues are known for their live music, celebrity patrons, and sports memorabilia. The brand gained recognition when Jay-Z referenced his investment in his 2003 song “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” with the line “Now you chillin with a boss, b*tch of course SC on the sleeve / at the 40/40 club ESPN on the screen”. The video for the Swizz Beatz produced Memphis Bleek single “Like That” was filmed at the club’s New York location. (Celebrity Gossip)
No further details have been revealed as of now.
