Despite his love for science fiction, we only too rarely get an opportunity to post about Kanye West here at Popular Science. So when that opportunity arises--when, say, West is suing a knockoff version of bitcoin--we wholeheartedly jump on board.
A not-yet-launched cryptocurrency known as "Coinye" is getting slapped with a lawsuit from West and his legal team. Not hard to see why: the currency's site prominently features a bespectacled West. This, according to the lawsuit filed today in a Manhattan court (and embedded below for your viewing convenience), is very bad for Kanye West. "With each day that passes, Mr. West's reputation is irreparably harmed by the continued use of the COINYEWEST, COINYE and/or COYE marks in connection with Defendants' goods and services," the lawsuit says, in legalese that is priceless.
The suit asks the court to shut down the Coinye operation before it takes off, and to award as-yet-unspecified damages to West for the harm done to his reputation. The suit cites tweets (also hilariously! the future is full of print lawsuits about internet stuff!) to prove there's some confusion as to whether Kanye was actually involved in the creation of the currency, which he was not, thank you, nerds. The creators of Coinye aren't currently known, so aren't named in the suit, but are believed by West's team to be uncovered as the suit moves forward in court.
So, yes, terrible news. Your get-rich-quick mortgage-payoff scheme will once again be winning the lottery.
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