Ice Cube Sues ‘Scam’ Robinhood App For Using His Image & Likeness
Ice Cube Sues ‘Scam’ Robinhood App For Using His Image & Likeness
Ice Cube is making it clear he doesn’t want to be connected to the stock trading app Robinhood.
He filed a lawsuit against the app for using his image and misquoting his lyrics in a promotion.
The ad shows Ice Cube in the 2007 comedy Are We Done Yet? and reads “Correct yourself, before you wreck. yourself,” a nod to Ice Cube’s 1992 song, “Check Yo Self.“
Ice Cube sued in a federal California court Wednesday (March 31st), pointing out that the app is already facing multiple lawsuits, including one from the rapper’s business partner Jeff Kwatinetz. It’s also under a handful of government investigations.
Ice Cube called out Robinhood for allegedly violating the Lanham Act, which oversees trademarks, and other laws that ban misusing one’s likeness.
The lawsuit alleges,
“In a cynical effort to appeal to a young demographic, Robinhood has engaged celebrity endorsers such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Jared Leto to endorse its products and services. However, in an act of unmitigated gall and transparent retribution, Robinhood and its subsidiary have now used the image and likeness of Ice Cube — without his permission — to promote Robinhood’s terrible products and services. Robinhood has picked on the wrong man this time.”
The lawsuit also states,
“Human lives are simply collateral damage as Robinhood single-mindedly rushes toward an initial public offering, so its feckless and apathetic Millennial founders can jump ship and live out their days in luxury and hedonism.”
It says the app
“and its subsidiary have now used the image and likeness of Ice Cube – without his permission – to promote Robinhood’s terrible products and services.”
But a rep for Robinhood said that isn’t the case, stating:
“The image was licensed and used for non-commercial, editorial purposes in connection with a blog article. We didn’t use his image without permission.”
Meanwhile, Ice Cube insists the company refuses to stop using his image and likeness. He said,
“Robinhood is a scam that Ice Cube wants nothing to do with.”
His lawyers also blasted Robinhood as“an unscrupulous and predatory conglomerate that professes to be a financial services company for the everyday person”; “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”; and “another get-rich-quick scheme.”
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