Rapper Eminem has sued Australian beach brand Swim Shady, arguing the company’s name is too similar to his trademarked alter ego, Slim Shady.
“The Monster” artist — real name Marshall B. Mathers III — filed a complaint with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in September, requesting it cancel the Swim Shady trademark it had granted to the company just days prior.
In the legal filing, Eminem’s lawyers have alleged that the brand’s moniker creates a “false association” with the rapper. American law requires the company to respond to the petition by next week.
The company was originally launched under the name Slim Shade, according to the BBC. It was later rebranded to Swim Shady and officially launched as a business in Australia in December 2024.
Months before its launch, Eminem lodged a trademark complaint in October 2024, claiming the company was infringing on his Australian trademark.
The Sydney-based company, which sells beach umbrellas, bags, towels and shorts, hit back at the accusations in a statement to The Guardian, saying it would “defend our valuable intellectual property.”
“Swim Shady is a grassroots 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,” it added.
Eminem originally trademarked the name Slim Shady in the U.S. in 1999, in line with the release of his album The Slim Shady LP, which included hits like “Guilty Conscience” and “Role Model.”
However, it wasn’t until January 2025 that he filed a trademark for the name in Australia. Previously, he had only owned trademarks in Australia for “Shady” and “Shady Limited.”
Eminem’s lawyers have said that the nickname has become “distinctive and famous” and is publicly associated with the rapper’s career.
Swim Shady has since filed a non-use application to attempt to remove Eminem’s Shady and Shady Limited trademarks, arguing that they haven’t been consistently used.
This isn’t the only trademark battle the rapper is fighting. He’s currently involved in an ongoing trademark infringement lawsuit against The Real Housewives of Potomac stars Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon over their Reasonably Shady podcast.
Meanwhile, in June, he sued Facebook’s parent company, Meta, for $109 million, claiming the social media company distributed over 200 of his songs to users without permission.
The “Lose Yourself” rapper isn’t the first American artist to take legal action against an Australian business over trademark issues. Kanye West sued Melbourne burger shop College Dropout Burgers in 2022.
However, the case was dismissed by Australia’s federal court the following year after the rapper and his legal team failed to take steps to progress the litigation.
