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23 July 2014Trademarks

Hells Angels settle Young Jeezy lawsuit

Motorcycle club the Hells Angels have reached an agreement with hip hop artist Young Jeezy in their dispute over the group’s ‘Death Head’ symbol.

The club sued 8732 Apparel, a clothing line owned by the rapper, and retailer Dillard’s in October 2013, claiming the pair had infringed their famous logo of a skull with wings.

Between them, Jeezy’s clothing line and the department store had allegedly made and sold hats, shirts and vests with a design that was “confusingly similar” to the ‘Death Head’ symbol, the complaint argued.

The club combines the logo with the words “Hells Angels” to form the “HAMC” patch design, which is a sign of full club membership. They own two trademarks for the patch design and two for the ‘Death Head’ symbol.

The clothing line released by 8732 Apparel featured a mask with wings, underneath the slogan “Street bandits eight seven”.

Citing wilful infringement, the Hells Angels demanded triple damages and attorneys’ fees in the complaint, which was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California.

Earlier this year, celebrity news website TMZ claimed to have broken the news of a settlement, saying that the rapper had paid the club an unspecified amount of cash, and the news has now been confirmed in a July 18 court filing.

The Hells Angels, which have between 2,000 and 2,500 members belonging to more than 230 chapters in the US and abroad, say they aggressively protect their trademarks and copyright.

The US Department of Justice has described them as an outlaw motorcycle gang whose members use the club as a conduit for criminal enterprises.

Owned by Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins, the 8732 Apparel brand claims to examine the origins of hip hop by “journeying from the zones, wards and boroughs of the urban streets”.

The Hells Angels were formed in 1948.

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