back to article 'You win, Kanye': Coinye creators throw in towel after rapper sues

The short and turbulent life of Coinye, the digital cryptocurrency named after rapper Kanye West, has come to an end. The virtual currency, which launched earlier this month under the name Coinye West, has closed up shop, apparently as a result of legal pressure from the vainglorious rapper. "We're really not sure how Kanye …

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  1. dssf

    Maybe a la BHA (Butt-Head Astronomer), they'll coin...

    "DamnYe"?

    Oh, wait... My post might encourage a take-down notice... Better screen shot it before that happens!

  2. Cliff

    Humourless.

    It's a joke, not even one that disparages the man, just a silly pun on his name. Then driving the developers to make the Gay Fish coin which is a repeat of somebody else's more personal dig at his humourlessness. Then going full Streisand.

    I'm glad I'm not Kanye West, it must be a miserable experience.

    1. dssf

      Re: Humourless.

      ONe of the local music/gossip stations here in the SF area incessantly runs a digital IV stream of gossip on him daily. It is nauseating, as IF there is nothing else in the world going on. But, I don't control the selection of stations tuned, and just finish my task trying to tune the station out. Another one of those stations.... Sigh

    2. JDX Gold badge

      Re: Humourless.

      Probably his legal team informed him about it and told him he needed to oppose it, and as he pays them to know best about his legal affairs, he did.

      It might be a bit of fun, on the other hand they are using his brand to get recognition. He worked to create that brand as something valuable, why should someone else cash in on it?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Humourless.

        Yup, the brand of being an obnoxious prick. Need to defend that one, which he has done wonderfully..

    3. GaryBarber

      Re: Humourless.

      I dunno. Kim looked pretty good to me in THAT picture.

    4. Lord Lien

      Re: Humourless.

      Not for his lawyers. They must be making a small fortune protecting his name/image. Think I'm in the wrong job some times.

  3. localzuk Silver badge

    Trademark?

    Interesting concept that he claims that his name is a trademark in the digital currency 'market'. Has he registered it as such?

    Not to mention, the entire thing is covered by fair use provision as it is a parody.

    But then, in reality comes down to money. Who has more? The creators of the currency or Kanye West?

    1. Charles 9

      Re: Trademark?

      The trademark concerns his name and likeness. Also, using a parody as fair use only applies to copyright, not trademarks. You spoof a brand name at your own peril.

      1. localzuk Silver badge

        Re: Trademark?

        There is a concept of fair use within trademark law also, not just copyright. Plenty of case law (basically, based on the concept of Free Speech as protected by the First Amendment).

        Parody of a likeness is irrelevant - you don't have rights to your likeness in that manner. Otherwise shows like South Park couldn't parody Kanye, and people wouldn't be able to take photos of people in public and put them in newspapers.

        Trademark law is there to protect commercial interests. The plaintiff would have to prove that the use of the name and likeness were such that a reasonable person would believe that Kanye West was invovled in the digital currency.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Trademark?

          "There is a concept of fair use within trademark law also, not just copyright. Plenty of case law"

          For example ...?

        2. Daedalus
          Boffin

          Re: Trademark?

          Under US law if you don't actively protect your trademark you can lose the right to enforce it, just as if your neighbour maintains a piece of your property that you neglect, you can lose it under "adverse possession". Hence all the "cruel" lawsuits against nursery schools with Disney characters painted on the walls etc. It's just how the law has to work.

  4. Richard Jones 1
    Unhappy

    At Least I have Now Heard of Him

    I wonder if this was an advertising stunt, I had never heard of him before, now I have. Sadly I have also forgotten his name already.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Gayfish

    They should have called it Gayfish instead. Not sure what the reaction from Parker and Stone would have been though.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Gayfish

      I'm guessing that barely suppressed giggling would be about right.

  6. Bernard M. Orwell

    It's clearly true...

    ....he loves fishsticks.

  7. dervheid
    Meh

    What

    a sad, pathetic little individual he really is.

    1. Gordon Pryra

      Re: What

      its his trademark, his way of making money.

      Why should he allow scotes to ride on the back of his business to make their money?

      I doubt they were going to give him anything for using it.

      Forgot what you think of him personally, it makes no difference whose image or name they were going to use.

      Hell, why not imagine they were going to use an image of the Queen and put her name on the currency, how does the story look now?

  8. BongoJoe

    What I fail to understand is why they have chosen to use the name of such a talented musician in the first place.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Because Kan sounds a bit like Coin

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "What I fail to understand is why they have chosen to use the name of such a talented musician in the first place."

      Lets hope this is sarcasm.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge
        Meh

        Nope. To make it as sarcasm it would have to stand at least a chance of being believable when delivered with a straight face.

        That's just ordinary, run of the mill bullshit.

  9. Gordon Pryra

    On the other hand

    Ignoring the rapper person

    How seriously can you take a currency that is being created by people who would name it after a person or are childish enough to then follow on with jokes and cartoon fish?

    Cash is serious business, and who the hell would risk using a currency being "run/developed" by idiots?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: On the other hand

      Thank fuck you got here, before I invested the rest of my pension scheme in it.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: On the other hand

        I think you may have missed the sarcasm. It was subtle, granted, but the "talented musician" bit should have prepared you :)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: On the other hand

          Maybe, but at least they managed to comment on the right thread

    2. Naughtyhorse

      Re: Currency run by idiots...

      Name one that isn't please

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So they had some value after all... as a bit of entertainment.

  11. John70

    Maybe he's making his own Koin Kardashian currency and didn't wanted to be linked to Coinye

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      re: Maybe he's making his own Koin Kardashian currency

      I wonder whether one could get away with "Dark Cashian"? Or would we be subject to the lawyers' malaprops?

  12. David Webb

    Hrm

    So, they set up a virtual currency which they knew would get shut down, make a stack of coins, get mass publicity (raising the value?) then sell up at a high before shutting down, how much $$$ did they make before the shutdown? General interest, above is just a theory and in no way alludes that this actually occurred.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hrm

      Well, them shutting down before their launch date is probably a clue

  13. Robert Grant

    Just move the e to the start

    eCoiny

    All the Streisandy publicity, none of the lawsuit.

  14. Frumious Bandersnatch

    rapper sues someone

    Damn. I can remember a time when rap music was all about the cash.

  15. Martin H Watson

    I'd like to say this is 'Horrid' but it sounds too much like a grocer's in Knightsbridge.

  16. Vociferous

    Dumb.

    Everything about this story is dumb.

  17. cortland

    Greek, maybe?

    Koine?

  18. Sheep!

    WHY are people supposedly scared of Kuntye West? He wouldn't last 2 minutes in my neighbourhood, and appears to have to hide behind packs of lawyers in case he's seen crying in the street because bigger boys are making fun of him.

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