By Rahim, 07-24-2008
, 12:37 AM
50 Cent has reportedly sued Taco Bell for using his name in an advertising campaign without permission.
Last month, Taco Bell released a letter to the press asking 50 Cent to endorse its "Why Pay More Value Menu" by changing his name to "79 Cent," "89 Cent" or "99 Cent".
50 Cent's lawsuit, which was filed in a Manhattan court Wednesday (July 23), claims that Taco Bell released the letter to the press before sending it to 50 Cent and fooled consumers into thinking that the rapper had agreed to endorse the fast food chain.
The lawsuit claims that Taco Bell intentionally used 50 Cent's name to attract attention and publicity to its campaign without compensating him.
"Simply put, Taco Bell knew that it would likely have had to pay [50 Cent] a multi-million-dollar fee to get his endorsement, even if he had agreed to do it - which is in doubt," the lawsuit said. "Rather than face rejection or pay fair value, Taco Bell chose to steal his endorsement and to enjoy all the publicity of being associated with a mega-star while bearing none of the costs."
The lawsuit also claims that the letter damaged 50 Cent's reputation by associating him with "pedestrian" rap themed video games on Taco Bell's website. The lawsuit also said 50 Cent has been criticized on blogs for "selling out" because consumers believed he had endorsed Taco Bell as a result of the letter.
50 Cent is seeking more than $1 million in damages.
Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Source: Sixshot.com
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