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Will.i.am, Pharrell, Trademarks And Ham, Sam I Am

from the facepalm-i-am dept

Wed, Jul 10th 2013 4:02pm — Timothy Geigner

We've written in the past about will.i.am, the oft-spectacled member of The Black Eyed Fergies. In particular, he has been known in the past to be somewhat lax in the realm of intellectual property laws and rights. That's to his credit. On the other hand, his recent overprotective nature in the matter of trademarks is disheartening, though admittedly entertaining. See, will.i.am apparently holds trademarks on the phrase "I am" covering clothing goods. Pharrell Williams' company, I Am Other Entertainment, attempted to register the mark "I Am Other" with the USPTO, prompting a cease and desist from will.i.am and his company I.Am.Symbolic. In return, Pharrell filed for a declaratory judgement seeking to affirm that no infringement has occurred.

It's in that document that the absurdity of all of this begins. Pharrell focuses on how will.i.am attempted to get the mark registered for products like jewelry and accessories, but was rejected due to similarity with already-existing marks. Then, Pharrell's filing drags beloved children's book writer Dr. Seuss into the mix, because why the shit not?

Pharrell Williams also points to popular culture, from Dr. Seuss' use of the words "Sam I am" from the book Green Eggs and Ham to the long list of other musicians who have put "I Am" to use. For example, there's Beyonce's 2008 album, I Am…, as well as the 146 artists (I Am Virgin, I Am Ghost, I Am Band …) counted by the plaintiff on AllMusic.com.

"Thus, the I AM formative is diluted in the music industry, and Defendants cannot preclude others from using that phrase especially when it is used in conjunction with additional, distinctive words," says the lawsuit.

And, the ridiculousness of mentioning Dr. Seuss aside, it's hard not to see his point. There's a great deal of folks in the music business making use of the phrase in a variety of ways. Beyond that, "I am" is one of those English language conventions that's a bit hard to do without, and equally difficult to associate with anyone in particular for that very reason. What I'm saying is that anyone that hears the phrase "I am" coming out of a musicians mouth or company and immediately decides that it must be will.i.am's product needs to be taken away somewhere, preferably a dark and quiet room, and have a few things about life and language explained to them, likely in the most brutal way possible.

will.i.am disagrees, however, stating that because Pharrell made the mistake a while back of collaborating with him on some music projects, confusion is inevitable.

Yes, there might be others who use "I Am," but will.i.am is famous, has invested in a "family" of marks (I Am Scholarship, I Am Home, I Am Angel, etc.), and has collaborated with Pharrell Williams in the past, which might lead consumers to believe that "I Am Entertainment" represents another such collaboration.

Right, because anyone that's done a duet with will.i.am must hitherto be a collaborator anytime they use the phrase "I am." Never mind that Pharrell's "I Am Other" mark appears to go out of its way to create disassociation. Never mind that this is likely one of the most common phrases in the English language. No, we're all to be confused between one hip hop star and another. Morons in a hurry...all of us.

151324667 I Am Other Entertainment Llc v William Adams and I Am Symbolic Llc Complaint (PDF)151324667 I Am Other Entertainment Llc v William Adams and I Am Symbolic Llc Complaint (Text)

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Filed Under: i am, pharell, trademark, will.i.am
Companies: i am other, i.am.symbolic

28 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 4:11pm

unreal!!
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 4:28pm

If you Google "I Am", Will.I.Am ranks below God. Just saying.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 4:36pm

Re:
Just wait 'til Google gets the C&D.
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Jay (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 5:29pm

Well, i.am confused as to how who this guy is, to be honest. I probably couldn't identify a single piece of his music if you asked me to.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 5:51pm

Why isn't will.i.am just suing Pharell over Pharrell's last name? The similarity is certainly disconcerting to a moron-in-a-hurry!
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OldGeezer (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 5:52pm

God has them beat by around 4000 years. In Exodus 3:13 he told Moses "And God said to Moses, �I AM WHO I AM.� And He said, �Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, �I AM has sent me to you." Christ made reference to this and was accused of blasphemy in John 8:58 when he said "before Abraham was, I AM."
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Krish (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 6:13pm

entitled.i.am
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 6:22pm

�I am what I am� -Popeye the Sailor Man
Was that Will.I.am in the movie? if so, likely the best music he ever made!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8TRoMSG-5I
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 6:59pm

i.am uninterested
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Matthew S (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 7:20pm

I'm not aware of too many things
I know what I know, if you know what I mean.

what.i.am is what.i.am

Are you what.you.are, or what?
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The Old Man in The sea, 10 Jul 2013 @ 7:51pm

I thought it was "Be kind to Morons Week"
What I'm saying is that anyone that hears the phrase "I am" coming out of a musicians mouth or company and immediately decides that it must be will.i.am's product needs to be taken away somewhere, preferably a dark and quiet room, and have a few things about life and language explained to them, likely in the most brutal way possible.

Tim, be nice. Even though Will.i.am may deserve this as the only person who is thinking this, it is "Be kind to Morons Week".

Let him be his own little storm in his own little teacup. There are far more serious things to worry about - like Sweet Little Kev and the ALP leadership worries.
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OldGeezer (profile), 10 Jul 2013 @ 8:42pm

Re:
Technically correct, but Popeye's expression was more like "I yam what I yam"
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jul 2013 @ 11:26pm

Looks like both of them owe royalties to Gregory A. Roach.
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G Thompson (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 12:48am

Maybe Ren� Descartes estate should have a nice little word to will.i.am a;long the lines of

"hey noob!!!

In around 1644 our ancestor wrote out what has been described as the absolute fundamental element of western philosophy that encompassed the phrase cogito ergo sum or in English "I think therefore I AM"

We would posit that it should be expanded upon to now say

I think... therefore I am NOT will.i.am
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Spartacus.i.am, 11 Jul 2013 @ 1:32am

I am Spartacus
No! I am Bradley Manning! Oh damn it. Je suis un Rockstar. What am i allowed to put on my t shirt? oh no that question used 'am I'! I bet that's been copyrighted too.
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btrussell (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 2:42am

"I am iron man
Has he lost his mind
Can he see or is he blind or
Can he walk at all or if he moves will he fall
Is he alive or dead has he thoughts with in his head
Well just pass him there why should we even care"
http://www.metrolyrics.com/iron-man-lyrics-ozzy-osbourne.html

https://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=9LjbMVXj0F8
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Aussiegeoff, 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:08am

Some on which he can trademark
Dufus I Am and Dumbshit I Am.

I, er we am sure no-one else would want them or wish to be identified with them.
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Ninja (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:42am

Re: Re:
Hmmm.. If Moses received the Commandments in stone tablets will God send the C&D notice to Google in an iPad for some Heavenly lulz?
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Ninja (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:46am

Re:
Too much Biblical references to bear! And oh the lulz. Go read "The Lamb" from mr Moore for some serious Biblical laughs ;)
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Ninja (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 3:52am

Ninja is wondering about it
And thus people started using the 3rd person. Until, of course, "The Rock" sued for trademark. Hilarity ensued.

Misaka approves! (reference: Toaru Majutsu no Index)
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martyburns (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 5:32am

Re: I'm not aware of too many things
I'm not aware of too many things

I.am not aware of too many things.

FTFY
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Pragmatic, 11 Jul 2013 @ 5:40am

Re: Re: Re:
Rats! You guys got ahead of me. This is funny, though. Next up: Will.I.Am sues Bible publishers and the estate of Cecil B. DeMille for repeated uses of his trademark.

Popcorn, anyone?
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Nick Burns (profile), 11 Jul 2013 @ 10:21am

I.am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
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ShellMG, 11 Jul 2013 @ 10:51am

Re:
Nononono, that was "I YAM what I YAM." As in sweet potatoes.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2013 @ 4:05pm

i.am.and.i.Will.trademark.this
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Anonymous, 13 Jul 2013 @ 4:38pm

Re:
He shouldn't have left it unfinished. "I think therefore I am". He was WHAT? Guess he died before he found out or something.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2013 @ 4:40pm

I thought it was...
Is he alive or dead?
Who cares, as long as he can still give head.
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IAM Entertainment, 15 Sep 2013 @ 4:17pm

A Magazine owns I AM ENTERTAINMENT
Pharell had to put "Other" in the term because I Am Entertainment MAGAZINE owns the trademark to "I Am Entertainment".

Besides...isn't Pharell's last name Williams? LOL
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