I still don’t fully understand what Bitcoin is all about to this day, so there’s no way I’m going to understand the latest virtual currency springing up, Coinye West. That’s right, it’s a currency based on Kanye West, using a cartoon version of his face. The first coins were issued last night ahead of its initial release date. It’s all fine and well, but I think we all know by now that Kanye has zero sense of humour, so of course his lawyers have filed a cease and resist to the anonymous folks behind the new currency.
From The Wall Street Journal:
The legal document, dated Jan. 6, includes an image of Coinye – a cartoon representation of West on a gold medallion. West’s lawyer argues trademark infringement.
“Given Mr. West’s wide-ranging entrepreneurial accomplishments, consumers are likely to mistakenly believe that Mr. West is the source of your services,” wrote Brad Rose, a partner at Pryor Cashman LLP, which has previously worked for West.
Obviously the Coinye folks weren’t bothered (they moved up the release date AFTER receiving the legal letter) and posted the following on Twitter:
"WHO GON STOP ME HUH" ? Coinye feelin' the heat, gonna spread what we got so far before the bigwigs steal our work!! http://t.co/Aql5N1tNp5
— Coinye (@CoinyeCoins) January 7, 2014
LOL, I mean, I doubt any of this will last very long, but who knows. I don’t think it’s right if it takes off that the people behind Coinye will profit off of Kanye’s image, but that’s a conversation to have if it ever makes it that far, you know?
Actually they were sort of bothered.. they changed the name from coinye west to just coinye and changed the logo to an unknown man with a fishtail thing. Which they had to do because Kanye definitely has justiciable rights.
while they had zero legally, i love them for yanking kanye’s chain like that. the tweet is my everything.