This case can be viewed as Boston v. New York in the courtroom. In 2010, Rapper Jay-Z (Noted Yankee fan) and a business partner sued Boston slugger David Ortiz in a Manhattan courtroom. The lawsuit was for trademark infringement over the name of Ortiz's nightclub in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) called Forty-Forty. The lawsuit was seeking over $5 Million in damages and have Ortiz not use the 40/40 name off Jay-Z's fame.
Jay-Z owns an upscale nightclub called the 40/40 Club. His nightclub chain can be found in places like Manhattan (NY), Las Vegas (NV), and Atlantic City (NJ). The club name referenced the rare baseball feat of 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one season. The lawsuit states that David Ortiz was "fully aware" of the 40/40 nightclub in Manhattan before he opened his club called "Forty/Forty". Ortiz was a noted patron at the club on several occasions.
Jay-Z and his team of attorneys could not hold claim to the "Forty/Forty" name in the Dominican Republic. The attorneys went after Ortiz in the U.S. registration he used to set-up his website for the club. In the end, the court ruled in favor of the Plaintiff (Jay-Z). The name was too similar to Jay-Z's 40/40 Nightclub. David Ortiz agreed to settle out of court by taking down the infringing website and change the name of his nightclub in Santo Domingo. No word yet on what his new club name is in Santo Domingo.
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