 Former drug kingpin Freeway Ricky Ross isn't giving up on his legal battle against rapper Rick Ross, which he initially filed last year in regard to the use of his name, which he accuses the rapper of profiting off of without his consent.
After his case was dismissed last year, due to his moniker being associated with illegal activity, Freeway Rick has reportedly garnered new legal representation and plans to bring the case before a California judge on May 2.
Enlisting new legal counsel, in the form of Los Angeles-based firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, and taking the case to the state level, rather than federal, he is confident the previous dismissal will be overturned and he'll eventually win his case.
"We always knew our case was stronger in the state than it was in the feds," Freeway Rick told BET recently. "California state law really protects people with their names and their likenesses. So we knew that was stronger inside California than it was in the feds, but we wanted to go the big route first then work our way down."
Ross' case was filed against the rapper, Def Jam Records, Universal Music Group and others, claiming trademark infringement, misappropriation of his publicity rights, and unfair competition. It was dismissed late last year, after the judge decreed that he did not show enough evidence of the the Miami rapper's secondary usage.
However, he promised to appeal the decision, and now, a new lawsuit is forthcoming.
Although all parties related to rapper Rick Ross' music career have been named in the lawsuit, Freeway Rick says he may opt to go after Warner Bros. Records too, now that the rapper has inked a deal with them for his Maybach Music Group imprint.
Freeway Rick promises to sue Warner Bros. too, if they release any music using his name.
"I'll slap a lawsuit on them as well," he explained. "They better not put my name on his product or I'mma be after them, too. I ain't scared of none of them."
Stay tuned...
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