Rapper Jay Z is suing Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz, alleging that the baseball star named a night club in the Dominican Republic the same as the hip hip icon, called 40/40.
The lawsuit was made public and filed on Thursday afternoon claiming that Ortiz named the club 40/40 to branch off of Jay Z’s celebrity and club owner reputation, indicating that they were affiliated with the hip hop mogul.
Jay Z is a notable New York Yankee fan, and opened the club in Manhattan back in 2003 with his business partner Juan Perez.
The lawsuit is seeking $5million in alleged damages as well as Ortiz to discontinue the use of the 40/40 name.
“David Ortiz is fully aware of plaintiff’s Manhattan 40/40 club, since he had been a patron there on several occasions before he opened his Infringing Forty/Forty club,” the lawsuit stated.
“They have accused Ortiz of trading on the fame, value and goodwill of their name through his club Forty/Forty and its website, www.fortyforty.net, which they say has caused their business ‘marketplace confusion and damage,’ the lawsuit stated.
The news does not get any better for Ortiz with respect to his on-the-field performance with the Red Sox either, as he was moved down to the sixth slot in the line up.
Ortiz is batting just .146 on the season with 2 RBI’s and zero home runs. The once clutch performer for Boston is searching for answers, and finding only more questions.
Ortiz is a career .281 hitter with 317 home runs and 1070 RBI’s in his 13-year Major League Baseball career.
Ortiz was the recipient of the American League Silver Slugger from 2004-07, and in 2004 was named the ALCS MVP.
That seems like a lifetime ago however, as Ortiz now finds himself needing to produce or else, in this “what have you done for me lately” business.
Currently, the Red Sox boast a 4-9 record and are already six games behind division leading Tampa Bay, at 10-3. Boston faces an uphill climb already in the young 2010 MLB season, with 150 games to go. That could be a good thing that there are so many games left to be played, as there is plenty of time to make up the ground, and for Ortiz to right the ship.
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