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A federal appeals court reopened a lawsuit filed

by Rosa Parks against Outkast today, over their hit song that uses her name

in the title.

Parks’ initial lawsuit had been dismissed in

1999. Parks claimed that the group was using her name for profit and not compensating

her.

Parks was also offended at the racial slurs used

in the song, as she is one of the civil rights movement’s most recognized faces.

A federal judge ruled that Outkast’s use of her

name was protected by the first amendment and that they did not need to compensate

her.

Parks’ hired super lawyer Johnnie Cochran to

help with her appeal and it appears that move helped her case.

"Rosa Parks is an icon in this country.

She’s the mother of the civil rights movement," Johnnie Cochran argued

before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "Because she stood up, we

can all stand up."

A three judge panel from the 6th US Circuit Court

of Appeals found that while Outkast’s free speech defense is valid, Parks’ claim

that using her first and last name in the title of the song could suggest that

she is somehow affiliated with the group.

The judge’s said that Outkast now needs to prove

that they have a valid artistic reason to show why they named the song ‘Rosa

Parks.’

"The fact that Defendants cry ‘artist’ and

‘symbol’ as reasons for appropriating Rosa Parks’ name for a song title does

not absolve them from potential liability for, in the words of Shakespeare,

filching Rosa Parks’ good name," the ruling said.