 The lawsuit former Los Angeles drug kingpin, "Freeway" Ricky Ross, filed against rap star Rick Ross -- in which he claimed the rapper profited off his moniker -- has been reportedly dismissed.
According to an AllHipHop.com report, a Southern California court has dismissed a a $10 million trademark infringement lawsuit Freeway Ricky had filed back in May after finding that his moniker did not have "secondary meaning" and value in commerce from drug dealing.
"In support of his trademark claims, Plaintiff alleges that his name was well known in the drug trade and by law enforcement segments of the urban crime, rap and black comity because he did business as Rick Ross, until he was arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated in federal prison," said the court.
"Because this illegal activity cannot be used to establish secondary meaning, such allegations do not provide support for Plaintiff having a valid trademark for his name."
Freeway Ricky named Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Def Jam, and Universal Music Group in the lawsuit.
He accused rapper Rick Ross of channeling his likeness. At the peak of his criminal enterprise, the drug kingpin was moving hundreds of kilos of cocaine per month and was earning around $2 million per day in profits. He was released from prison in May 2009 after serving 20 years behind bars.
He got the "Freeway" nickname for owning several homes along Southern California's Harbor Freeway, which he used to move his drugs.
Reports said Freeway Ricky has 30 days to appeal the ruling.
He even filed for an injunction to stop the release of Rick Ross' most recent album, Teflon Don, but obviously, it didn't work.
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