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The legal battle over the name “Rick Ross” rages on between “Freeway” Rick Ross and rapper Rick Ross, who owns the trademark to the name.
On Tuesday (July 17), a federal judge ruled that the case could continue in court.
According to the latest ruling, Freeway Rick can pursue Warner Brothers, since Rick Ross and his record label Maybach Music Group have a deal with the label.
According to the judge presiding over the case, Freeway Ricky has 10 days to amend his lawsuit, against Warner Brothers, for false advertising, unjust enrichment, and unfair business practice.
Freeway Ricky Ross has been battling rapper Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts II, in court, since 2010.
Freeway Ricky filed his first lawsuit against the rapper in June of 2010, in hopes of preventing him from using and exploiting, his birth name.
Freeway Rick claims that the rapper co-opted his name and likeness as a former drug kingpin and parlayed it into a successful rap career.
Freeway Ricky Ross is an urban legend, who had a drug empire that earned as much as $2 million per day.
Additionally, Freeway Ricky has been the subject of numerous articles in regards to the Iran-Contra scandal and he ha been featured on popular television shows like “American Gangster.”
But the rap star came out on the victorious end of two separate lawsuits, one in federal court and another, appeal in state court.
In the first ruling, the judge ruled that Freeway Rick could not capitalize on his own name, since it was built off of committing real crimes.
The state ruled that a statute of limitations on the allegations helped the rapper get the case dismissed from court.
To make matters worse, rapper Rick Ross received a federal trademark for the name, which he has used in commerce since his 2006 debut, Port of Miami.
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