Eminem, the US rapper known for songs like ‘’Stan’ and ‘Lose Yourself’ is taking legal action against Australian beachwear company, Swim Shady. He is claiming that the brand’s name is copied from his trademarked pseudonym, Slim Shady, which he uses in rapping.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall B Mathers III, filed a petition in September to the US Patent and Trademark Office. He called to cancel the trademark that was given to the Australian company in his petition. According to US law, the company needs to respond to the claim within the next week. Lawyers of the 53-year-old rapper accused this Sydney-based brand of creating a “false association” with Eminem. Swim Shady also commented back. In a statement given to the BBC, the company said that it would “defend our valuable intellectual property”.
Swim Shady, the company’s name, was registered in September 2023. According to Australia’s business regulator, the brand originally launched under the name Slim Shade. However, it officially launched in 2024 with the name Swim Shady. It currently sells wim bags, portable beach umbrellas, and other accessories that you can carry to the beach.
Earlier this year, the swimwear brand filed the trademark with the term “Swim Shady” in the US, which was even granted to them. However, Eminem’s team filed a petition to cancel the trademark shortly afterwards. But the rapper and his legal team did not stop there. Eminem also filed an opposition to the name of the brand in Australia. “Swim Shady is a grass roots Australian company that was born out of a desire to produce stylish and effective sun shades and other items to protect from the harsh Australian sun,” said the company. It further added that the brand could not comment further on the issue as a legal case is going on.
“Court documents show Eminem trademarked the name Slim Shady in the US in 1999 with the release of the eponymous album. However, he only filed a trademark for the Slim Shady name in Australia in January 2025,” BB stated in a news report.
Eminem rose to fame in the year of 2000 with his global mega hit single ‘The Real Slim Shady’. This song became one of the most popular rap songs in history and earned him a Grammy for the best rap solo performance. His lawyers are now arguing that his name became “distinctive and famous”. They also stated that this name became associated exclusively with his rap career. On the other hand, Meyer West IP is listed as Swim Shady’s legal representative on the case. This is a firm specializing in intellectual property in Sydney.
The rapper is also currently engaged in a fight with Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixonm, the hosts of the Reasonably Shady podcast. He is alleging a trademark infringement on the podcast name. This case has been going on since 2023. In 2017, Eminem successfully won NZ$600,000 (then AU$535,000/£315,000) in another copyright infringement case against the New Zealand National Party.