Palak Arora 28/03/22 #intellectualproperty #IPR #IPRinfo #IPlaw #IPRrights #Trademarkclickcom #IP #entrepreneur #BizMarkie #TaraHall #JenniferIzumi #copyights #trademarks #royalties #Columbia #NewYork #Maryland #PaycheckProtectionProgram #trademarkinfringement

Tara Hall, the widow of the late rapper Biz Markie, was recently found suing his former Manager Jennifer Izumi in Federal Court accusing her of infringing his trademark and directing her to pay her royalties and other funds instead of Biz’s estate. Biz Markie was born in Harlem in New York City in the year 1964 and moved to Maryland in his last days. He started his own company named Biz Markie Inc. and got it registered in the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit is seeking more than $100,000 in damages and transfer of control of Biz Markie Inc. from Jennifer Izumi to Tara Hall. Izumi is in possession of limited power of attorney on behalf of Biz Markie.

The suit stated, “Izumi paid Balancing Acts $65,000 from Markie’s royalties and then switched the payee of future royalties from Biz Markie Inc. to her company. Jennifer Izumi obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan on behalf of Biz Markie Inc., changed the passwords on Markie’s personal and business accounts to lock him out, and filed a trademark application for Biz Markie without taking proper consent.”

The lawsuit talks about nine different allegations against Izumi that included the following:

• breach of fiduciary duty,
• unjust enrichment and
• trademark infringement.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Izumi has not responded to the allegations that have been put on her to date. She is being represented by Dayna Cooper of Cooper Legal. On the other hand, Benjamin Horowitz of Venable LLP and Alan Clarke of Greenspoon Marder is representing Hall in this case. However, Hall is seeking the following four things in her lawsuit:

• requesting for a court order declaring her the owner of Biz Markie Inc.,
• further blocking Izumi of further usage of the Biz Markie’s trademark going forward,
• forfeiture of any sort of royalties or other profits that she wrongfully diverted from the company and 
• appointment of a temporary custodian during the pendency of the lawsuit to oversee Biz Markie Inc. on Jennifer Izumi’s behalf.

The case can be reached with the name Hall v. Biz Markie Inc., U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia bearing case no.1:22-cv-00806.