Rapper Eminem has told us he was the “real Slim Shady” for years, but that was until he met up with two Black women from Maryland!
Last month, on Valentine’s Day, the Detroit Rock and Roll Hall of Famer filed to block reality stars Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon from registering their podcast “Reasonable Shady” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, alleging it would confuse his audience and make people think he was somehow associated with their brand, AllHipHop.com reported.
His lawyers wrote in the filing, “[Robyn & Gizelle’s] mark REASONABLY SHADY, simply looks and sounds like SHADY and suggests that it represents the services of Mathers.”
“REASONABLY SHADY so resembles Opposer’s mark SLIM SHADY, SHADY, and the mark SHADY LIMITED in terms of appearance, sound and commercial impression as to be likely, when applied to [Robyn & Gizelle’s] goods, to cause confusion and mistake and to deceive,” the attorneys continued, according to RadarOnline.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, gave Bryant and Dixon a deadline of Sunday, Mar. 26 to respond.
They responded weeks before the date given by the “Lose Yourself” artist.
According to Page Six, Bryant and Dixon never got an “actual notice of [Eminem’s] prior rights in the names and marks Slim Shady, Shady, and Shady Limited before adopting and seeking to register.”
The Potomac duo also believes their podcast’s name is not “identical to” any of the properties that Eminem has used “shady” on.
Moreover, through their lawyers, they “admit that there is no relationship, authorization, or consent” between their company and his “regarding the marks at issue.”
Their attorney, Andrea Evans, said, “Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant deny any likelihood of confusion between Mather’s trademarks and their Reasonably Shady mark.”
Eminem’s team is still pushing to have the trademark, which will allow the two women to legally sell merch for their show, to be blocked by the government.
The United States Patent and Trademark agency has not responded to the request or to either party throwing shade.
