Back in 2012, clothing designer Dwayne Walker sued Jay Z, Damon Dash, Kareem “Biggs” Burke, and Roc-A-Fella (as well as UMG and Island Def Jam) for $7 million for copyright infringement and breach of contract. In the suit Walker claimed he created the Roc-A-Fella logo and therefore owed royalties for its use. However yesterday [September 27], a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the lawsuit.
Jay Z and Dash said that Roc-A-Fella in-house art director Adrien Vargas created the logo, contrary to Walker’s claims that he himself created it in 1995.
Walker also claimed he had a contract with Dash, but he was unable to provide a physical copy of this agreement.
“This leaves only plaintiff’s own self-serving testimony that he drafted the contract, that he and Dash signed it, and that he lost track of it in 1998,” wrote the judge. “This testimony alone is not enough.”
Walker plans to appeal.
