Future’s production company, Freebandz Productions, LLC, and Sony Music have reached a settlement with a creative agency that was named after the rapper’s eighth studio album, ‘High Off Life.’
High Off Life, LLC, an Atlanta-based company owned by independent artist Z. Rich (whose real name is Zach Richards), filed the lawsuit in October 2020. Prior to this, the company had been selling High Off Life-branded clothing since 2009 and also provided creative services and hosted concerts in the local area.
In addition to its other ventures, High Off Life, LLC also operates a YouTube channel called High Off Life TV, which features Hip Hop-related content. According to Billboard, the company’s trademark infringement lawsuit stated that the marketing campaign for Future’s album made it nearly impossible for the small firm to be found online.
“Overnight, Defendants destroyed HOL’s investment of many years and many thousands of dollars into building consumer recognition.”
In April 2022, Sony Music attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed based on the legal precedent known as the Rogers Test. This states that a trademark can be used in movie, television, and music titles as long as the owner of the new copyright does not mislead consumers and the trademarked name is relevant to the body of work.
At the time, U.S. District Judge Scott Hardy said that he could not make a decision about the validity of the lawsuit until both sides had presented their cases. Hardy also noted that the Rogers Test would only protect Freebandz Productions and Sony Music’s use of the High Off Life name as the album’s title, and would not affect any decisions regarding the sale of merchandise for Future’s album. On January 3, the parties filed a motion to dismiss the case, stating that they had reached a settlement, but did not disclose the terms of the settlement to Hardy.