Eminem is to sue Australian beach brand Swim Shady for alleged trademark infringement.
The rapper's legal team have alleged that their name is too similar to Eminem's rap alter ego, Slim Shady, a moniker he has been associated with since the 1990s. They have also accused the owners of this brand of confusing customers by creating a "false association" between Eminem and their products, which includes swim bags, umbrellas, towels and other beach accessories.
A petition has been filed to cancel Swim Shady's trademark in the US. It was filed just days after it was successfully filed by the United Stats Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in September.
Swim Shady have also been accused of infringing Eminem's trademark in Australia, with opposition to their trademark filed in Australia in October 2024.
"Swim Shady is a grassroots Australian company that was born... to protect people from the harsh Australian sun," Scott said in a joint statement with his partner, Elizabeth Afrakoff", Swim Shady's owner Jeremy Scott told The Guardian Australia. "We will defend our valuable intellectual property.... Given the matters are before the court, we do not propose to say any more at this time".
The Guardian Australia also revealed that Eminem only filed to trademark Slim Shady in Australia in January this year, although he already held trademarks for Shady and Shady Limited. Non-use applications have been filed against the last two trademarks down under. They insisted that they are not consistently used.
Despite his long association with the moniker, Eminem appeared to cut ties with his alter ego following the release of his latest album, The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce).
The album included Eminem's track, Houdini, which came in for praise by singer Steve Miller for its use of his hit track, Abracadabra. More on this from Nova here.
