Ryan Lochte Feuds w/ Compton Rapper Over 'Jeah' Phrase
Ryan Lochte may have gotten a lot more than he bargained for with his "Jeah" trademark claim.
The Olympic gold medal swimmer went from a relative unknown to a household name in the past few months. The swimmer is now everywhere with commercial and television appearances. But Lochte may have completely jumped the shark with his "Jeah" trademark claim.
And he may have also inadvertently started beef with "Compton's O.G." MC Eiht.
Last week, Lochte filed papers to trademark his made-up catchphrase "Jeah" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Lochte has been using "Jeah" for several years and he not very helpfully explains that the word "means, like, almost everything," reports the New York Daily News.
Lochte freely admits that "Jeah" is not a completely original creation, saying that he ripped the word from rapper Young Jeezy's "Chea!," reports the Daily News. However, another, older, rapper says that he coined the term in the 1980s.
MC Eiht says that he feels disrespected that Ryan Lochte is making claims that he invented "Jeah," reports TMZ. MC Eiht is not necessarily concerned with the profits that Lochte could make, but he feels dissed. And the gangsta rapper says he plans on sending Lochte a cease and desist letter.
Should the dispute end up going to court, both Lochte and MC Eiht will need good trademark attorneys.
If MC Eiht's claims are true, it's not entirely clear who will own the "Jeah" trademark. On the one hand, MC Eiht says he's been using the term when Lochte was just a toddler. On the other hand, no one heard of "Jeah" until Ryan Lochte came around.
Related Resources:
- MC Eiht Calls Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte "Disrespectful" for "Jeah" Trademark Attempt (XXL News)
- Trademark Basics (FindLaw)
- LMFAO Reveals What LMFAO Stands For in Trademark Application (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)