Eminem Files to Cancel Swim Shady Trademark Over Similarity

Rapper Eminem has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking to cancel a recently granted trademark for Swim Shady, an Australian beachwear company, claiming the name is confusingly similar to his long-standing Slim Shady persona. The filing, made on September 29, 2024, came just days after the office issued the trademark certificate to Swim Shady on September 23.

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, has used Slim Shady as a central element of his career since trademarking it in the United States in 1999, coinciding with the release of his album The Slim Shady LP. The persona gained global recognition with hits like "The Real Slim Shady" in 2000, which won a Grammy for best rap solo performance. His lawyers argue in the petition that Swim Shady's name is "highly confusingly similar and/or legally identical in sight and sound" to Slim Shady, potentially creating a false association between the company and the rapper. They further contend that the nickname is distinctive, famous, and exclusively linked to Eminem's music, merchandise, performances, and record label.

Swim Shady, a Sydney-based brand founded by Jeremy Scott and Elizabeth Afrakoff,...