50 Cent Sues Taco Bell Over Ads

Rapper Claims Fast Food Chain Used His Name In Joke Letter Suggesting A Rename

(AP)  50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent.

The rapper says in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Mexican-themed chain features him in a print ad asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent. His real name is Curtis Jackson.

The rapper's court papers say the ad is part of Taco Bell's "Why Pay More?" campaign, which promotes items for under a dollar, including Cinnamon Twists for 79 cents, Crunchy Tacos for 89 cents and Bean Burritos for 99 cents. The papers say the Irvine, Calif.-based company sent a bogus letter requesting the name change to the news media but not to the rapper.

The rapper's lawyer, Peter D. Raymond, said his client didn't learn about the letter or that he was featured in the ad campaign until he saw a news report about it. Raymond said his client is seeking $4 million in damages.

Taco Bell Corp. spokesman Rob Poetsch issued a statement saying: "We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice."

This isn't the first time 50 Cent has sued over his name or image.

In July 2007, he filed a $1 million lawsuit accusing an Internet ad company of using his image without permission in a game called "Shoot the Rapper," in which the player pretends to shoot him.

The game shows 50 Cent walking in an ad across the top of a Web page while the viewer is encouraged to shoot him by aiming and clicking with the mouse, the rapper's court papers said; a successful shot results in a misty cloud of red, and then the viewer is directed to another Web page, where the ad firm's clients sell goods and services.

The rapper is a well-known victim of gun violence: He was shot outside his grandmother's Queens home in 2000 and rapped in one of his biggest hits, "In da Club," about being hit with a few shells.

The rapper has been nominated for 13 Grammys, including for the song "In da Club" and the album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." In 2005, he starred with Terrence Howard in a semi-autobiographical movie based on that album. He also starred in the 2006 film "Home of the Brave" as a soldier returning home from Iraq.

[navyjimfl]

this piece of *** 50 cent is an embarrassment to professional blacks.....the usual type of hero to the blacks that make up the murder capital of america in Jacksonville.....

[xmanborg]

Posted by gmond at 10:02 AM : Jul 24, 2008

50 Cents isnt worth 50 Pennies.

[concorde5]

Berniepeders.....You were never treated like a Norwegian-American. Perhaps Blacks are treated like some hyphenated American instead of true americans. Maybe that''s why they call themselves African-Americans.

Just a thought...

[berniepeders]

Oh yeah, one more point...the "African-American" thing. In my opinion, anyone BORN in the U.S. doesn''t really have much claim on being a "whatever-American". If you were born in Mexico, you''re a Mexican-American, born in AFRICA, you''re an African-American, etc. My ancestors were from Norway, but I would never call myself a "Norwegian-American". I''m an AMERICAN, period.
Peace

[gmond]

Taco Bell''s advertising department obviously isn''t worth 50 cents.

[berniepeders]

I gotta weigh in with my "TWO CENTS"...I hate rap and hip-hop..can''t understand a word they say, and that thumping bass drives me crazy. What I can understand confirms that the rap/hip-hop culture is violent and degrades women. I have nothing against BLACK entertainers, many of them are my favorite performers...Johnny Mathis, Charlie Pride, Hootie and the Blowfish, Dave Chappelle...the list is VERY long, but they all have TALENT, and I can understand them. What this Jackson person does, I just can''t understand why anyone would sign him to a multi-million dollar contract for that tripe. Just my opinion.
Peace

[xmanborg]

reedtaz73

Like I said Rap takes no skill what so ever. Even Jerry Springer can Rap and he is More White then Snow or Chlorox Bleach and a Load of White Clothes.

If 50 Pennies had any Musical Skills he would not have to worry about a 4 million dollar law suit with his Ugly MUG.

[xmanborg]

Yeah toncul get your facts straight before you try to be edu-u-ma-kated.

[xmanborg]

reedtaz73

Rap takes no skill what so ever. NE-YO can Sing and just not TALK with a music background. 50 Pennies has NO MUSICAL SKILLS WHAT SO EVER perfect example of no skills is CANDY SHOP, 50 Pennies isn''t even worth the Copper sent to a recycle scrap yard.

[idnnsg]

toncul, did you say Obama was from Kenya? That''s NOT TRUE.

Barack Hussein Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His FATHER, Barack Obama, Sr., was born in Nyanza Province, Kenya.

[nothappyatall]

He''s a PUBLIC FIGURE, as such his image ugly as it is would be used by anyone, they just can''t claim he ENDORSES their products, and they can''t use a copyrighted photo taken by someone else, w/o payment

[reedtaz73]

Xman, Ne-yo is not a rapper...that would be like calling willie nelson a soul singer...
Get a clue.

[reedtaz73]

How stupid can you people be...he''s sitting at home laughing at you broke azz posters. Besides, how stupid is Taco Bell...they might have to give him money.
Seems like his street intellegence is doing him far better than his book sence was ever going to do for him. Most of you idiots hate because you hate yourselves for having such a sub-average life.

[toncul-2009]

"considering that he''''s not African American"....***...You are a stupid SOB..

OK I must tutor you so pay attention..He''s from Kenya and Kenya is in Africa..thus the term African American.

[xmanborg]

Posted by toncul at 09:01 AM : Jul 24, 2008

Rap isn''t singing and 50 pennies got famous because he was a jail house thug with no education. HE STILL HAS NO EDUCATION. You can take the Brotha out of the Hood but you cant take the HOOD out of the Brotha. Some Rappers deserve respect and 50 pennies is not one of them. NE-YO deserves respect and is a good rapper he is respectful to female and is not ghetto.

50 pennies pretty much sucks the big one in so many countless ways.

[xmanborg]

By the way your first movie SUCKED THE BIG ONE. THANK god I never paid to watch it.

Lets see how your second movie rates, If it has to do with RAP or the HOOD or Drive By Shootings or Gangsta POOP, its going to SUCK THE BIG ONE AGAIN.

[toncul-2009]

to all you poor crackers, jealousy is a sickness... get help.
P.S.
you losers are soon to be sucking Barack Obama''s big "African American" *** from the White House...open wide..ROTFLMAO

[xmanborg]

Like 50 Cent (mister 2 bits) needs any more money. 4 Million in Damages, If I was on the Jury I might award him $500,000 MAX. If that.

Grow up 50 CENTS, Curtis Jackson and stop biting your lower lip its not going to get any smaller.

[xmorphinex]

I hope he losses. Not only can he be known for being shot but for being an a**hole who can''t take a little humor because some douchbag on the street is calling him a "sell out" so he steals money that can go to charity and then some. **Good job now he can have the homeless trying to gun him down. Perhaps this time he''ll try to duck.**

[gheemaster38]

Sounds like he is trying to get rich on someone elses account because he can''''t hack it in the real world on his own. It is free pr for him! It''''s not like they are saying bad things about him. It could be a lot worse. Of course with some people all they can think about is suing people. Maybe we should sue him for bad music that is harming our children. I believe a psychiatrist would attest to that. I could guarantee you he would not be happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by childplease

I don''t think he is trying to get rich on someone else on someone elses account. He has made of 300 million in commercial business investments. THis is not including his "music" either. The question should be,"Is this news worthy?" The answer is "NO!"