OutKast Sue EDM Duo ATLiens
OutKast released their sophomore album ATLiens in 1996, and it’s an absolute bulletproof rap classic. You could argue that it’s OutKast’s best album, and plenty have. As it turns out, there’s a masked dubstep duo from Atlanta that calls itself ATLiens. They’ve been around for a while, they play big venues, and they’ve got tracks with producers like Bassnectar. OutKast, or at least the lawyers representing OutKast, would like to let ATLiens know that you can’t just do that.
AllHipHop reports that High Schoolers LLC, Big Boi and André 3000’s trademark holding company, have filed a lawsuit against the other ATLiens. In court documents, OutKast’s lawyers claim that the other ATLiens are promoting shows in Atlanta and selling merchandise with their name but that they don’t have the right to use it: “The word ATLIENS was invented by Outkast. Before Outkast created it, it was not used in the cultural lexicon and did not exist… Upon information and belief, Defendant selected the name ATLIENS for their EDM duo to trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with Plaintiff’s ATLIENS album, song, and mark, or, at a minimum, to call to consumers’ minds Plaintiff’s famous ATLIENS album, song, and mark.”
OutKast are seeking to have the other ATLiens permanently barred from using that name, and they also want to group to pay legal fees and “enhanced, trebled, and/or punitive damages because of the willful and unlawful acts as alleged herein.”
