OutKast sue rapper/producer Ovrkast for trademark infringement and “malicious intent”

OutKast entrou com uma ação judicial contra o rapper e produtor Ovrkast – acusando-o de violação de marca registrada e “malicious intent”.

The holding company of OutKast’s André 3000 and Big Boi, High Schoolers LLC, filed the suit in a Georgia federal court last week (September 16). They claim that Ovrkast – real name Silas Wilson – has used the stage name, knowing that it could deceive people into thinking he is associated with them.

In their 31-page complaint, they accuse him of trademark infringement and unfair competition. The Atlanta duo also outlined efforts that they had made up to this point to protect their name and avoid any confusion from listeners.

An example they gave of their likenesses being confused was a 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, where Ovrkast allegedly said that he has noticed that some people “read Ovrkast [as] Outkast”.

OutKast’s trademark company is suing rapper/producer Ovrkast, accusing him of trademark infringement and breaching an agreement that allegedly required him to stop using the “OVRKAST” name by July 15 ⚖️.

According to the complaint, Ovrkast had agreed to adopt “OVERKXST” as his… pic.twitter.com/54jHP5KA6U.

The duo also said that they contacted Wilson about the name in 2025, and allegedly agreed in July this year that the rapper would go by the name “Ovrkxst” instead – but the rapper did not follow through on this agreement.

A ação deles também acusou Ovrkast de demonstrar “an intentional, willful, and malicious intent”, e pede ao tribunal que interrompa Wilson de usar esse nome atual, além de exigir indenização por violações das leis de marcas e de negócios.

Em outras notícias sobre o OutKast, no final de 2024, André 3000 disse que o OutKast estava “further away” de fazer nova música juntos “than we’ve ever been”.

The duo were later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside The White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper and Soundgarden, and have since dropped a 25th anniversary deluxe reissue of their 2000 album ‘Stankonia’.

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