50 Cent and Sire Spirits have been hit with a lawsuit by E. Remy Martin & Co, who have accused the multimedia mogul of jacking the design of one of the brand’s bottles for his Branson cognac.
According to reports, the lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattan federal court this past Friday (Aug. 13), claims that Branson cognac’s bottle design infringes on Remy Martin’s trade-dress and design patent rights for its Centaure de Diamant cognac bottle. E. Remy Martin & Co says the bottle, associated with its XO cognac, is the second best-selling cognac bottle in the U.S., behind Hennessey.
E. Remy Martin & Co has pegged Sire’s bottle design for Branson cognac as a “blatant attempt” to build its own reputation and standing in the market by mimicking their unique bottle design, which is comprised of a “circular array of raised flat and angled quadrilateral facets” that connect at a “centrally located circular surface. According to E. Remy Martin & Co, the two bottles are “nearly indistinguishable” from one another, with Branson cognac’s being a “near exact reproduction” of the brand’s Centaure de Diamant cognac bottle.
Fif—who’s hit Starz show Powerbook III: Raising Kanan was recently renewed for a second season, and is currently working on a show documenting the rise and fall of the Black Mafia family in a forthcoming series set to premiere on Sept. 26—addressed the lawsuit via his Instagram account, accusing E. Remy Martin & Co of being frightened by Branson’s presence in the spirits market.
“They are afraid of me already,” wrote the “I Get Money” rapper in the caption of a post. “Branson Cognac is the new wave. REMY is #2 Behind Henny and worried about Branson Smh i’m just getting started. #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi.”
While Fif once wrote the play-by-play on how to rob the industry, perhaps he wasn’t just referring to music.