Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty is suing an NFT company for using his name to launch a new auction without permission or compensation.
According to Radar Online, the company that the Quality Control artist named in a lawsuit is Opulous (d.b.a. Ditto Music) and Lee Jason Parson as defendants and claims that both parties by using his name have engaged in federal trademark infringement.
Lil Boat says that he has owned his stage name for close to five years, trademarking it in 2017.
The document further details how successful he is as a musician, his investments, various enforcement deals with companies like Sprite, Adidas, and Target, and adding recently under his name has become the creative director for Nautica.
He alleges that the Singapore-based company Opulous and its founder Lee James Parsons are misleading his fanbase by saying that he is working with them as they aspire to be the first music copyrighted-backed NFTs.
The company did reach out to him in 2021 for his participation but nothing was agreed on.
Still, the digital-based auction house used his name, image, and likeness in a campaign, including a press release and website.
The rapper, known for his colorful hair and writing tons of hits from some of Hip-Hop’s biggest acts, is seeking unspecified damages and all profits the company made off using his name. He is further seeking an injunction that will stop the brand from using anything connected to him in any promotional material.