MF DOOM's Name and Likeness Used in Counterfeit Temu Products, Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit Alleges

Temu “willfully” and “maliciously” infringed upon trademarks associated with the late rap legend MF DOOM, a new lawsuit alleges.

In Aug. 11-dated court documents viewed by Complex, Gas Drawls LLC, established in 2011 by DOOM and his wife, Jasmine Dumile Thompson, accuses Whaleco Inc., doing business as Temu, of multiple alleged infractions. Among them are trademark infringement, unfair competition, and misappropriation of likeness.

The Gas Drawls-owned trademarks in question “have been damaged by Temu’s knowing and systematic marketing and sale of counterfeit versions of the brand’s trademark of products bearing counterfeit and/or confusingly and/or virtually identical trademarks,” lawyers argue in the California-filed federal case. The alleged actions, they further argue, also “devalue” DOOM’s “status in the hip-hop milieu.”

Judgement against Temu should include the following developments, among others, per Gas Drawls: the awarding of all damages, legal costs and attorneys’ fees, an order barring Temu from repeating the alleged infractions, and the immediate recall and removal of the products in question. Numerous examples are cited in Monday’s 32-page filing, ranging from t-shirts to art prints.

Given the extent of Temu’s alleged actions, lawyers say there is cause to believe consumers may have been confused about the legitimacy of these products. Even worse, lawyers argue, fans may have been falsely mislead into thinking that DOOM’s trademark owners have entered into some sort of an agreement with Temu, which they have not.

The Gas Drawls legal team says that Temu’s alleged actions make the company “liable for treble damages, attorneys’ fees, and statutory damages of up to [$2 million] per counterfeit mark per type of goods sold, offered for sale, or distributed.” Treble damages, for those unfamiliar, are aimed at cases involving especially flagrant violations, meaning the plaintiff can be awarded triple the amount of actual damages.

Court docs viewed by Complex also include more zoomed-out criticism of Temu’s business practices at large. In the complaint’s opening page, for example, Temu is said to be “widely understood” as “one of the most unethical companies operating in today’s global marketplace.” Indeed, Temu has faced questions of illegality in the past, even as recently as just last month.

“Temu respects the intellectual property rights of others and takes all infringement claims seriously,” a Temu spokesperson said in an email to Complex. “While we uphold this commitment, we will vigorously defend ourselves against unfounded allegations.”

Gas Drawls LLC takes its name from a track off 1999’s Operation: Doomsday album. DOOM, born Dumile Daniel Thompson, died in October 2020. News of his death was not made public, however, until December of that year, with Jasmine, his widow, revealing in a statement at the time that her husband had “transitioned” on Oct. 31.