Kevin Durant Being Sued by 80s Metal Guitarist Over Use of Nickname ‘Durantula’
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As The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one game from being eliminated from the NBA Finals, more bad news hits Kevin Durant.
Mark Durante, a former band player in The Aliens, Public Enemy, The Next Big Thing and the Slammin Watusis in the 1980s, says has had the nickname trademarked for years.
According to the suit, filed Wednesday in the Northern District of Illinois federal court, Durante has repeatedly demanded that the Oklahoma City Thunder three-time NBA All Star stop using the nickname. He’s also suing Nike, which he says has begun using superhero version of Durant named “Durantula” as part of a shoe campaign, and Panini Authentic, which is selling photographs and basketballs with the Durantula inscription.
Durante says he trademarked the nickname in 1993 when he was with a an industrial rock band called The Revolting Cocks and owns a web site by the same name.
In letters, Durant’s representatives repeatedly told the 80s rocker that “Kevin does not use the term as a nickname and has no intention of doing so,” according to the suit.
This is obviously not the best timing for Kevin Durant, but maybe it will light a fire in his belly for Game 5? These lawsuits tend to pop up at opportune times in order to get a quick settlement, and this case seems to be on par with precedent.
via Chicago Tribune
