Dr. Dre has spent years building up his name and is not letting anyone use it for a come up. Even if they are not trying to. As reported by AllHipHop, lawyers for the legendary beat maker have threatened producer Drew Reyes with a petition of his trademark for using the stage name “DiamondDRE.”
After first using the name in 2010 (he claims he trademarked it in 2007) and again late last year, Dr. Dre’s legal team contacted the aspiring musician’s attorney threatening to petition to cancel his five year-old moniker. Dr. Dre has owned all rights to the trademark, “DRE” since 1981.
Reyes claimed he is only trying to do him. “‘DiamondDRE’ is my stage name and my artistic identity, and Dr. Dre’s attorney is arguing that my mark will cause confusion with his client, Mr. Andre Young (aka Dr. Dre),” said DiamondDRE. “He’s threatening me by promising to petition to cancel my service mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, if I don’t comply with his terms. How can anyone confuse “Dr. Dre” with “DiamondDRE”?
Dr. Dre’s attorney Robert Becker said the emphasis on DRE in Reyes’ name is the problem. “Given our clients fame in the music business as both a producer and performer, particularly with regard to Hip-Hop, in which your client is also active, any use by a performer of the name or mark DRE or of a name or mark that contains DRE, maybe confused with him,” Becker told DiamondDRE’s lawyer. Dre’s lawyer also told Reyes he could use the name, “DiamondDre” as long as he doesn’t capitalize the letters “DRE.”
Even with the threat of petition, Reyes said he would keep using his original stage name until Dre’s lawyers follow through with their threats. “There’s no telling how many other artists he may have been blocked in the past…I refuse to let any person, regardless of whom they are or their status, to bully me,” said Reyes.
Reyes’ lawyer, Theresa V. Johnson, fired back at Dre’s legal team asking them to stand down. “We respectfully ask that you leave Mr. Reyes alone as his business venture is in no way a threat to the world-famous music producer, rapper and musical entertainer Andre Young,” she said.
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Photo: Interscope
