Jay-Z Loses Court Dispute Over Roc-A-Fella Name

Jay-Z recently lost a court dispute with an England eatery over the name of his former empire.

The rap impresario sued celebrity chef Terry Miller over the use of the word “Rockafella,” a New Castle restaurant launched when Miller used his winnings from cooking reality television show Hell’s Kitchen to open it.

The lawsuit entered courts in 2006, when Jay claimed the name would confuse fans into believing the restaurant would be associated with his Roc-A-Fella business.

A court, however, ruled in favor of Miller and granted him the exclusive trademark and rights to use the name in the United Kingdom.

This isn’t the first time a celebrity lost the rights to a name in the United Kingdom, however. In 2007 Sean “Diddy” Combs was banned from using his stage name there after losing a court battle to Richard “Diddy” Dearborn, who claimed the name interfered with his own trademark rights in the UK.