Ice Cube Loses to Robin Hood In Battle Over His Likeness

by HHL JT

The free trading app Robin Hood featured Ice Cube in an email marketing campaign that switched up his "check yo self before you wreck yo self," to "correct yourself, before you wreck yourself."

Ice Cube sued for millions, claiming the campaign made it seem like he endorsed the app.

Robin Hood countered that the image of Ice Cube it used was licensed from the company that owned it, and the reworked catchphrase does not suggest an endorsement, but rather "they illustrate a point in the newsletter about a market correction in tech stocks."

Federal judge Laurel Beeler has sided with Robin Hood, tossing Cube's suit

According to Beller, false-endorsement claims require "more than alleged unauthorized use."

Cube spoke out against the decision.

"You cannot take people's lyrics and likeness as an endorsement without permission. This is another example of judges letting big business do whatever they want to us," he said.