As reported by The Root, Hip-Hop mogul 50 Cent is not one to take infringement of his image and intellectual property lightly, as evidenced by his recent legal action against jeweler Maksud Trax Agadjani, also known as TraxNYC. On October 10th, the artist, born Curtis Jackson, filed a lawsuit citing trademark infringement and violation of his right of publicity. This legal move comes in response to TraxNYC's promotion of chains resembling one owned by 50 Cent, leading the artist to assert that the jeweler's social media posts are misleading consumers into believing an affiliation with the “knock-off” pieces.
The lawsuit, as reported by The Wrap, explicitly states that the defendants "willfully and knowingly created imitations of an original necklace designed exclusively for Jackson." Furthermore, it accuses TraxNYC of using 50 Cent's name, image, and other intellectual property rights for commercial gain, all without authorization.
In response to the promotional videos posted on Instagram by TraxNYC, which have since been removed, 50 Cent had issued a warning on social media prior to taking legal action. His public comment on one of the posts made his disapproval clear: "This was a bad idea. You will regret doing this, I promise."
Following the lawsuit, 50 Cent continued to address TraxNYC on Instagram, insisting that the jeweler cease selling the disputed chains. In one post, he expressed his frustration, stating, "This fool took my custom piece, copied it, then posted this 7 hours ago using my likeness to sell them." Another post featured a reshared video of TraxNYC asking for the artist to drop the lawsuit, to which 50 Cent responded, "Let me think about it. Nah you tried to play with me! You know the vibes by Monday," indicating his unwavering expectation of payment for the alleged offense.
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