(AllHipHop News) Rapper Rick Ross has emerged victorious in his battle with former drug baron “Freeway” Ricky Ross, over the usage of his name.
According to TMZ.com, an L.A. County Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit, making it the second time Freeway Rick has lost in court against the rapper.
In November 2010, a $10 million federal trademark infringement lawsuit against rapper Rick Ross was also dismissed.
The earlier ruling stated that Freeway Ricky Ross could not legally trademark his name, because he became popular due to “illegal activity,” which the judge said could not be used to establish a “secondary meaning.”
Freeway Ricky Ross re-filed the lawsuit in California Superior Court, because his attorneys California law would afford him more protection for his name.
The latest ruling marks the end of almost 5 years of bickering over the name.
Rick Ross, born William Leonard Roberts, admittedly derived his name from Freeway Ricky Ross’s exploits.
In a detailed interview with AllHipHop.com in 2008, Freeway Ricky Ross said that Rick Ross visited him in prison and asked for permission to use his name, which he refused to grant.
“I never told him it was okay to use my name,” Freeway Ricky Ross told AllHipHop.com. “I told him I wasn’t tripping, but we needed to sit down and talk. Because I would never be involved with a Milli Vanilli. I built this name to what it is today to where I can go to any prison in this country and get saluted.”