Kanye West Defeats And Kills Coinye In Legal Battle
Kanye West was determined to make sure Coinye, the Bitcoin alternative virtual currency, did not survive for very long. His determination paid off this week when West found victory in the court of law.
West discovered that the currency carried a likeness of his image and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Coinye creators early last January, according to NBC News. The coin was hardly flattering to Kanye West to begin with, but the creators of the cryptocurrency decided to add a fishtail to its cartoon image of Kanye’s face instead of dropping it entirely.
Kanye’s lawyers decided to file a trademark-infringement lawsuit in response, and Coinye seemed as though it was going to fade away. In fact, the creators of Coinye tweeted that the currency team had “dispersed”, but West’s lawyers did not back down.
It appears as though Coinye did not stop at using Kanye’s image for their currency. According to The Guardian, Kanye West’s videos were played on the coin’s website as well.
In total, 84 documents were filed since last January, and the case grew with over 100 people involved, according to NBC News. Many defendants did not respond to Kanye West’s allegations and lost by default. Three of the defendants settled with Kanye West, according to Pitchfork. One of the defendants that settled with Kanye was 17-year-old Harry Wills from the U.K.
Wills said in an interview, “I’ve never had anyone try to sue me before, let alone an A-list celebrity. We didn’t win but we’ve cost Mr. West thousands in legal fees, which is a great feeling.”
Wills also added, “Also, the main reason I settled is because I get to have West’s lawyer, a United States district judge, and Kanye West’s signature along with my signature on the legal document that removes me as a defendant, which I will print off and frame.”
While Wills decided to look on the bright side of Kanye’s wrath through the legal courts, it is unsure what Coinye’s developers will find to do now that their six-month-old virtual currency has officially met its demise.
Kanye West has not commented on the case.
[Image via The Guardian]
