Back in November, we learned that LL Cool J had filed a trademark lawsuit against the promoters behind the hip-hop music festival Rock the Bells for lifting the name from his 1985 single. Well, he won. #mamasaidknockyouout
According to Billboard, a California federal judge has ruled that festival promoters Guerrilla Union must refrain from using the title without his permission, which means no “manufacturing, transporting, promoting, importing, advertising, publicizing, distributing, offering for sale, or selling any goods or services.”
In fact, Guerrilla Union has been ordered to turn over any and all items bearing the name, which also includes the festival’s website address, their social media handles, and a litany of e-mail addresses. They have until May 10th. Ouch.
Rock the Bells originally ran from 2004 to 2013. While its roots are in Southern California, the festival went on to tour the world, featuring some of the strongest lineups in the genre, including a reunited Wu-Tang Clan four months prior to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s death.