Coinye responds to Kanye complaint, says currency now based on 'half-man half-fish hybrid'

[AlexGoesHigh]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/10/5295956/coinye-cryptocurrency-responds-to-kanye-west-cease-and-desist

 

 

The developers of Coinye — formerly known as Coinye West — have responded to a cease and desist letter from Kanye West with their own cease and desist, insisting that an updated version  of their cryptocurrency is unrelated to the singer and now references a "half-man-half-fish hybrid who is wearing sunglasses." Coinye's logo was initially a stylized version of Kanye West superimposed on the back of a gold coin, but West's lawyers complained that the currency's name and image constituted a trademark violation, falsely implying that Coinye was an officially sanctioned product. In response, the Coinye team pushed up its release to the public, but they've also changed the branding in hopes of distancing it enough to avoid a lawsuit.

 

this is the letter

 

 

Upon receipt of your letter, we kindly changed our imagery so not to confuse the general public with your clients image as we appreciate that there may have been a point of contention.

 

We have now removed any and all references to your client which we feel could mislead someone in to believing that there is in any way a link between the two.

 

As you can tell from our new community-submitted, updated materials, we make no visual or verbal reference to Kanye West but to a half-man-half-fish hybrid who is wearing sunglasses, again, totally separate from any resemblance to your client.

 

[...]

 

We request an end to the constant harassment and scare tactics.

 

Herein, we require the following from your client.

 

1. Cease and desist from any and all use of the mark 'Coinye' and other related words or phrases containing 'Coinye'. Should you wish to challenge this request, We require with immediate affect that you supply us with any Intellectual Property proof you may own, including but not limited to, promotional material, video, audio, PR material containing the use of the name or terminology 'Coinye' in any capacity.

 

2.No further communication through our private email addresses shall be made in an empty [sic] to strong-arm myself and/or any other individual who operates a website or service containing references to 'Coinye' in an attempt to halt efforts on this open source project.

 

[...]

 

I do not see that there is a likelihood of confusion between the Trademark set forth by your client Kanye West and those being presented by under the Meme Crypto Currency Coinye Coins ("The Gay Fish"). The official site states, and has always stated, that we are not affilated with Kanye West. (See the FAQ section.) These sites are used to provide people with Coinye Coins so that they may purchase "Fish Sticks For Their Mouth."

 

LOL this guys are geniuses, that a really clever way to avoid a lawsuit, "the gay fish" coin exist

 

 

this is what they did first : http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/99081-kanye-serves-coinye-with-cease-and-desist-alleging-infringement/

[Bloodyvalley]

10/10

[ivhyn]

That's bloody brilliant!

[Emperor_Piehead]

Well now what? katy penny half human/half horse?

[Imaginaerum]

Well now what? katy penny half human/half horse?

If you said Katy Perry I'd say asdgkgh but I don't know who Katy Penny is

[Emperor_Piehead]

If you said Katy Perry I'd say asdgkgh but I don't know who Katy Penny is

I meant katy perry, but instead of calling it katy perry it would be called katy penny if she had a cryptocurrency named after her 

[ObeseWalrus]

This is silly, and I love it.

[Imaginaerum]

I meant katy perry, but instead of calling it katy perry it would be called katy penny if she had a cryptocurrency named after her 

[MrImnotMLG]

Did they get the guys from South Park to draw that?

[TheRuke]

Too good!

[ForsakenLive]

I don't really know who is this guy, but if he is a dumb celebrity, why are we hyping his fame on the forum?

[AlexGoesHigh]

I don't really know who is this guy, but if he is a dumb celebrity, why are we hyping his fame on the forum?

he was big back in mid 2000

[OBEYSQUIRREL]

These guys sound like little kids, not geniuses. How is this any different from a troll editing his message on a forum to stay out of trouble from the mods? Is it really that hard to man up and take responsibility? The cease and desist was sent to them before they changed their image, so they weren't being harassed, and their cease and desist will fail because if they were not in the wrong then why are they trying to cover their tracks?

[afa7336]

These guys sound like little kids, not geniuses. How is this any different from a troll editing his message on a forum to stay out of trouble from the mods? Is it really that hard to man up and take responsibility? The cease and desist was sent to them before they changed their image, so they weren't being harassed, and their cease and desist will fail because if they were not in the wrong then why are they trying to cover their tracks?

 

Thats part of it, but what the lawyers will try and argue is that the coin still resembles and so does the name, Kanye West. The name I think they still have a good case on, but the coin, I am not sure. If it wasn't so late, I'd ask someone. Basically satire is covered and can protect you from legal action, when making fun of someone or a product. I just don't know myself, how that applies to products.

[JAKEBAB]

I don't really know who is this guy, but if he is a dumb celebrity, why are we hyping his fame on the forum?

lol u must be very young or isolated and its funny its the biggest troll turning him into a fish lmao.

[Askew]

I don't really know who is this guy, but if he is a dumb celebrity, why are we hyping his fame on the forum?

 

You're so edgy man.

[Askew]

This is hilarious, I can just picture Kanye ranting to himself somewhere "Oh so he half fish now? These niggas think they can play ME!?"

[Alex(PlayMedium)]

I hope he starts to get some scientists to speak for him publicly and tell everyone how he's definetly not a fish

[AlexGoesHigh]

These guys sound like little kids, not geniuses. How is this any different from a troll editing his message on a forum to stay out of trouble from the mods? Is it really that hard to man up and take responsibility? The cease and desist was sent to them before they changed their image, so they weren't being harassed, and their cease and desist will fail because if they were not in the wrong then why are they trying to cover their tracks?

dude i know the image of it sound childish and that the joke of it but in the coin aspect they are trying to be serious or at least that what it sounds like on their page but if you were facing a lawsuit that if you lose and has to end up paying money that you don't have would you at least try to defend itself and avoid the charges, i would because i think kanye is acting like a butthurt that cannot even stand a joke

 

i guess you would respond by saying they shouldn't have done it in the first place to begin whit, well i think no body expect this neither so there no one to blame here but i do think they have all the rights to defend itself from him     

[Andrew48]

This is hilarious! :P

[L0rd Log1c]

These guys sound like little kids, not geniuses. How is this any different from a troll editing his message on a forum to stay out of trouble from the mods? Is it really that hard to man up and take responsibility? The cease and desist was sent to them before they changed their image, so they weren't being harassed, and their cease and desist will fail because if they were not in the wrong then why are they trying to cover their tracks?

Hey, humor is subjective. Some people say video games is something for little kids, here we all think it's genius. I like the way they went. In mimicking Matt and Tray from South Park, who were allowed to do what they did because of the freedom to make parodies, Kanye's lawyers should have no leg to stand on. But they might find another angle from which to attack them legally.

[OBEYSQUIRREL]

dude i know the image of it sound childish and that the joke of it but in the coin aspect they are trying to be serious or at least that what it sounds like on their page but if you were facing a lawsuit that if you lose and has to end up paying money that you don't have would you at least try to defend itself and avoid the charges, i would because i think kanye is acting like a butthurt that cannot even stand a joke

 

i guess you would respond by saying they shouldn't have done it in the first place to begin whit, well i think no body expect this neither so there no one to blame here but i do think they have all the rights to defend itself from him     

No, I don't have a problem if they were fans or something, I just find it annoying when people try to use someone else's fame to draw attention to themselves or their product when they don't even like the person they're using. It also bothers me when people try to attack someone they don't even know just because of media, but either way I'm not defending him and this doesn't affect me either way. It's just like "why bother."

[Blue fellow]

No, I don't have a problem if they were fans or something, I just find it annoying when people try to use someone else's fame to draw attention to themselves or their product when they don't even like the person they're using. It also bothers me when people try to attack someone they don't even know just because of media, but either way I'm not defending him and this doesn't affect me either way. It's just like "why bother."

Kanye West makes media for a living. You are allowed to attack someone just because of media if they are media.

[OBEYSQUIRREL]

Kanye West makes media for a living. You are allowed to attack someone just because of media if they are media.

Obviously. If you put yourself out there you're going to get both. If you're justifying attacking people just because they're famous though, then i disagree. If you attack someone you know nothing about just because they're famous, then he probably laughs at you while counting his millions of dollars.

[AlexGoesHigh]

No, I don't have a problem if they were fans or something, I just find it annoying when people try to use someone else's fame to draw attention to themselves or their product when they don't even like the person they're using. It also bothers me when people try to attack someone they don't even know just because of media, but either way I'm not defending him and this doesn't affect me either way. It's just like "why bother."

fair enough