US rapper Eminem has sued Australian swimwear company Swim Shady, saying its name is too similar to his trademarked rap name Slim Shady.
In September, Eminem, whose real name is Marshall B. Mathers III, filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark granted to the company. US law requires the company respond to the petition by next week.
The 53-year-old rapper's lawyers have accused the Sydney brand of creating a “false association” with Eminem.
Swim Shady told the BBC he would “protect our valuable intellectual property”.
According to Australia's business regulator, the company's name was registered in September 2023, initially launching under the name Slim Shade. It will officially launch in 2024.
The brand sells portable beach umbrellas, swim bags and other beach accessories.
Earlier this year, the brand applied to trademark “Swim Shady” in the US and was granted approval. Shortly after, Eminem's team filed a petition to have the trademark canceled.
Eminem also filed a protest against the brand name in Australia.
“Swim Shady is a grassroots Australian company that was born out of a desire to produce stylish and effective sunglasses and other items to protect against the harsh Australian sun,” the company said, adding that it could not comment further due to the ongoing legal case.
Court documents show that Eminem registered the Slim Shady trademark in the United States in 1999, the year he released his album of the same name. However, he did not register a trademark for the name Slim Shady in Australia until January 2025.
Eminem rose to fame in 2000 with the release of his hit single The Real Slim Shady, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
His lawyers said the name had become “prominent and famous” and was associated solely with his rap career.
Swim Shady's legal representative is Sydney-based intellectual property law firm Meyer West IP.
Last year, an Australian court overturned an earlier ruling that American pop star Katy Perry has violated the trademark rights of Australian designer Katy Perry..
The Australian designer sold clothes under her own name and accused the California Girls singer of trademark infringement when she sold merchandise during her 2014 Australian tour.
Katy Perry compared the legal battle at the time to a battle between David and Goliath.
