Iggy Azalea’s Lawyers Slam Vivid: Sex Tape Is Trademark Protected
Iggy Azalea may have been under 18 when the video was shot, nor did Iggy ever give consent for the video’s release. Nevertheless, Azalea’s lawyers are resorting to intellectual property laws as their newest means to keep the tape hidden. They are arguing that marketing the tape is illegal because it violates the trademark “Iggy” owned by the Australian rapper.
Whatever works.
Out of the seemingly endless things that are wrong with Vivid entertainment, a large porn company, promoting the video, a trademark seems like an odd way to go. There might be a good reason they need to lay out the last line of defense though.
The sex tape drama has had a complicated history. Initially Azalea aides tried to claim that no such tape existed, then said she didn’t know a video was being shot and suggested she was under 18. However, those claims all go against what the tape’s co-star has to say on the subject.
Houston rap star Jefe Wine has recently come out to say that he is the man in video. He also claims that Iggy was definitely over 18, saying they actually first met at her 18th birthday. Furthermore, Wine says that Iggy was definitely aware that the tape was being shot.
Azalea’s lawyers fired back, telling gossip site TMZ that the tape was being sold by her ex to “damage her image and career out of revenge.”
Nevertheless, Wine claims that he never gave the tape to Vivid entertainment, instead claiming that his computer was stolen.
In any case, it seems like the the charm offensive to get Iggy’s consent to sell the video is dead.
Vivid’s CEO Steve Hirsch was reportedly offering Azalea over $1 million dollars to secure her permission to release the tape.
The rumors prompted Iggy to take to the Twittersphere and say,
I dont have a sex tape but for the record…
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) September 11, 2014
Anyone who releases or attempts to make profit off someone else’s intimate moments against their will is a sex offender.
— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) September 11, 2014
The entire incident will hopefully raise the larger debate over data privacy. Many would argue that if someone has to go through so much grief to hide a purely private matter may be considered a clear sign that there need to be better legal protections. Having to use a trademark defense seems unnecessary in a fight that is clearly violates the rapper’s personal privacy.
Until the laws are improved, Iggy Azalea may have to resort to any legal defense out there, no matter how odd.
[Image Via wallpaperseries.com]
