Mattel Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Rap Snacks over its Nicki Minaj-branded Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips.
According to reports, Mattel is asking federal court in Los Angeles to bar Rap Snacks from using “Barbie” in its products and is seeking monetary compensation, including profits from the sale of the Barbie-Que chips. The toymaker adds that Rap Snacks’ product may “create customer confusion and false association with the ‘Barbie’ brand”, as Mattel runs its own line of Barbie-branded snacks.
“The association is so evident that upon viewing the packaging, representatives of the defendant’s celebrity partner asked if Rap Snacks had obtained Mattel’s clearance,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, Rap Snacks has never requested or received such permission.” Mattel adds that Rap Snacks chose to continue using the name and did not “correct the false impressions it imposed on the public”, and that the lawsuit was filed “as a last resort”.
Minaj, who has been using “Barbie” since the start of her career, was not named as a defendant. The rapper herself has collaborated with Mattel in the past, however creating a doll for charity in 2011.
In related news, stream Nicki Minaj’s latest single “Super Freaky Girl.”
Mattel Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Rap Snacks over its Nicki Minaj-branded Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips.
According to reports, Mattel is asking federal court in Los Angeles to bar Rap Snacks from using “Barbie” in its products and is seeking monetary compensation, including profits from the sale of the Barbie-Que chips. The toymaker adds that Rap Snacks’ product may “create customer confusion and false association with the ‘Barbie’ brand”, as Mattel runs its own line of Barbie-branded snacks.
“The association is so evident that upon viewing the packaging, representatives of the defendant’s celebrity partner asked if Rap Snacks had obtained Mattel’s clearance,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, Rap Snacks has never requested or received such permission.” Mattel adds that Rap Snacks chose to continue using the name and did not “correct the false impressions it imposed on the public”, and that the lawsuit was filed “as a last resort”.
Minaj, who has been using “Barbie” since the start of her career, was not named as a defendant. The rapper herself has collaborated with Mattel in the past, however creating a doll for charity in 2011.
In related news, stream Nicki Minaj’s latest single “Super Freaky Girl.”