Earlier this week it was reported that will.i.am was suing Pharrell Williams in a dispute over the brand name 'I Am [click here if you missed that].'
Will.i.am immediately denied the claims [click here if you missed that] but his lawyer's explanation sure sounds like a lawsuit to me...
From Billboard
A lawyer for will.i.am has responded to what he calls "misinformation" surrounding the Black Eyed Peas leader's copyright claim against Pharrell Williams' new "i am OTHER" brand. In a statement, attorney Ken Hertz said that his client is not suing Pharrell, but is engaging in a "run-of-the-mill trademark procedure" in order to "defend trademarks that have been registered and that [will.i.am] has used widely and continuously for many years."
Will.i.am owns the copyright to the phrase "I AM" and claims that Pharrell's new brand is "confusingly similar" and that the "i am OTHER" logo would appear on goods in a manner similar to those that bear will.i.am's mark. "The registration of the mark . . . is likely to dilute the I AM mark and the WILL.I.AM mark," the document reads.
