Brazil Court Backs Rapper L7NNON in Name Fight With Yoko Ono

Overview

• L7NNON won a federal appeals ruling in Brazil that lets him keep using his stage name after a challenge by Yoko Ono.
• The 2nd Panel of the TRF2 said peaceful coexistence should prevail because there is no real confusion in the market.
• Judges pointed to the numeral 7 in “L7NNON” and the distance between rap audiences and John Lennon's rock fans.
• The dispute moved to court after Brazil's trademark office, the INPI, accepted Ono's opposition to his registration.
• The ruling is in force for now, and Ono can still seek a further appeal in higher courts.