A snack foods company that partnered with Nicki Minaj for Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips has been sued by Mattel, owner of the Barbie brand.
Miami-based Rap Snacks was slapped with a lawsuit on Aug. 11 alleging federal trademark infringement and dilution and unfair competition. Mattel is seeking an order preventing Rap Snacks from using the Barbie name as well as profits generated from sales and punitive damages.
Minaj, who has used the Barbie name as part of her persona and whose fans are called Barbz, is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
“Rap Snacks purposely, and with much fanfare, launched its new line of potato chips using Mattel’s BARBIE trademark on its packaging and advertising, including the stylized BARBIE trademark,”reads the statement of claim. It added that Rap Snacks used a logo that is “confusingly similar to the current BARBIE logo, and virtually identical to another version.”
Mattel claimed that “upon seeing the packaging, representatives for [Minaj] queried whether Rap Snacks had obtained permission from Mattel. Indeed, Rap Snack never requested or received any such permission.”
Mattel said it “immediately engaged” with Rap Snacks, which “refused to cease use of the BARBIE trademark.”
Rap Snacks products are sold at U.S. retailers and feature the images of stars like Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Snoop Dogg and Migos. The Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips are not currently being promoted not he company’s website.
When the chips were launched in June, Rap Snacks CEO James Lindsay said in a release: "Nicki Minaj is unquestionably one of the most disruptive forces in the history of rap … It just makes sense that as a brand disrupting the snack industry, we align to push the bar even further.”
Rap Snacks has not commented publicly on the lawsuit.