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50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign
NEW YORK - 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent.
The rapper says in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Mexican-themed chain features him in a print ad asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent. His real name is Curtis Jackson.
The rapper's court papers say the ad is part of Taco Bell's "Why Pay More?" campaign, which promotes items for under a dollar, including Cinnamon Twists for 79 cents, Crunchy Tacos for 89 cents and Bean Burritos for 99 cents. The papers say the Irvine, Calif.-based company sent a bogus letter requesting the name change to the news media but not to the rapper.
The rapper's lawyer, Peter D. Raymond, said his client didn't learn about the letter or that he was featured in the ad campaign until he saw a news report about it. Raymond said his client is seeking $4 million in damages.
Taco Bell Corp. spokesman Rob Poetsch issued a statement saying: "We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice."
This isn't the first time 50 Cent has sued over his name or image.
In July 2007, he filed a $1 million lawsuit accusing an Internet ad company of using his image without permission in a game called "Shoot the Rapper," in which the player pretends to shoot him.
The game shows 50 Cent walking in an ad across the top of a Web page while the viewer is encouraged to shoot him by aiming and clicking with the mouse, the rapper's court papers said; a successful shot results in a misty cloud of red, and then the viewer is directed to another Web page, where the ad firm's clients sell goods and services.
The rapper is a well-known victim of gun violence: He was shot outside his grandmother's Queens home in 2000 and rapped in one of his biggest hits, "In da Club," about being hit with a few shells.
The rapper has been nominated for 13 Grammys, including for the song "In da Club" and the album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." In 2005, he starred with Terrence Howard in a semi-autobiographical movie based on that album. He also starred in the 2006 film "Home of the Brave" as a soldier returning home from Iraq. NEW YORK - 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising tha... more -
50 Cent Sues Taco Bell for $4 Million
In late June advertising representatives for Taco Bell made what they call a "good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent." In a written letter, the company propositioned 50 to change his nickname to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for a day while rapping his order at one of their restaurants.
In return, the company would make a $10,000 donation to any charity the rapper chose. The Mexican-style fast food chain released the following letter to the national press in June, before the original copy eventually reached the 50's offices.
Find out if fifty will sue anyone else here....
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7373 In late June advertising representatives for Taco Bell made what they call a "good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent." In a... more -
50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign
50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him to call himself 99 Cent.
The rapper says in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Mexican-themed chain features him in a print ad asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent. His real name is Curtis Jackson.
The rapper's court papers say the ad is part of Taco Bell's "Why Pay More?" campaign, which promotes items for under a dollar, including Cinnamon Twists for 79 cents, Crunchy Tacos for 89 cents and Bean Burritos for 99 cents. The papers say the Irvine, Calif.-based company sent a bogus letter requesting the name change to the news media but not to the rapper.
The rapper's lawyer, Peter D. Raymond, said his client didn't learn about the letter or that he was featured in the ad campaign until he saw a news report about it. Raymond said his client is seeking $4 million in damages.
Taco Bell Corp. spokesman Rob Poetsch issued a statement saying: "We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either 79, 89 or 99 Cent for one day by rapping his order at a Taco Bell, and we would have been very pleased to make the $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice."
This isn't the first time 50 Cent has sued over his name or image.
In July 2007, he filed a $1 million lawsuit accusing an Internet ad company of using his image without permission in a game called "Shoot the Rapper," in which the player pretends to shoot him.
The game shows 50 Cent walking in an ad across the top of a Web page while the viewer is encouraged to shoot him by aiming and clicking with the mouse, the rapper's court papers said; a successful shot results in a misty cloud of red, and then the viewer is directed to another Web page, where the ad firm's clients sell goods and services.
The rapper is a well-known victim of gun violence: He was shot outside his grandmother's Queens home in 2000 and rapped in one of his biggest hits, "In da Club," about being hit with a few shells.
The rapper has been nominated for 13 Grammys, including for the song "In da Club" and the album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." In 2005, he starred with Terrence Howard in a semi-autobiographical movie based on that album. He also starred in the 2006 film "Home of the Brave" as a soldier returning home from Iraq. 50 Cent has sued Taco Bell, claiming the fast-food restaurant chain is using his name without permission in advertising that asks him ... more -
50 Cent Sues Taco Bell For Using His Name
50 Cent has reportedly sued Taco Bell for using his name in an advertising campaign without permission.
Last month, Taco Bell released a letter to the press asking 50 Cent to endorse its 'Why Pay More Value Menu' by changing his name to "79 Cent," "89 Cent" or "99 Cent".
50 Cent's lawsuit, which was filed in a Manhattan court today (July 23), claims that Taco Bell released the letter to the press before sending it to 50 Cent and fooled consumers into thinking that the rapper had agreed to endorse the fast food chain. 50 Cent has reportedly sued Taco Bell for using his name in an advertising campaign without permission. ... more -
Nebraska Family Wins $40,000 Over Urine-Tainted Food
OMAHA, Neb. — A Sidney police officer and his family have won $40,000 from a restaurant that had served them food tainted by an employee's spit and urine.
In the lawsuit filed last year in Cheyenne County District Court, officer Keith Andrew and his wife said a Taco Bell employee urinated and spit in food served to them and their children in October 2005.
The lawsuit named North Platte-based Mid Plains Food and Lodging, owner of the KFC/Taco Bell.
A KFC spokesman, Rick Maynard, said KFC is committed to the highest levels of food safety.
"Our franchisee does not agree with the court's verdict, and they are looking at their legal options," Maynard said Monday.
The jury verdict was announced Friday.
In the lawsuit, the couple said their two sons, 4 and 7 at the time, took sick after they ate the food. The 4-year-old came "violently ill," the lawsuit said, with gastroenteritis and dehydration. The lawsuit said he vomited for hours and was forced to spend time in a hospital.
Other workers saw what Diedrich did, the lawsuit said, and reported it to management.
But the managers didn't inform the family, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also suggested the family was the victim of a scheme that targeted police officers.
"Employees maintained 'special servings' of food reserved for ... officers," the lawsuit said. "The 'special servings' had been urinated in or spit in by KFC/Taco Bell employees. In fact, defendant's employees maintained a particular serving pan for use in creating 'special servings' of food plus employee urine."
An attorney for the Andrew family, Andy Snyder of Scottsbluff, said the employee who fouled the family's food admitted tainting the food of another officer as well.
Snyder said the verdict did not specify exactly how the jury believed the restaurant was negligent, but managers didn't discipline the worker involved, Casey Diedrich.
Diedrich could not be reached to comment Monday. There was no listing under his name in Nebraska.
In March 2007, Diedrich pleaded guilty to violating the Nebraska Pure Food Act and was fined $100, according to Cheyenne County Court records. The prosecution was for the same incident described in the lawsuit.
In June 2007, a company spokesman said Diedrich was eventually fired for missing work but not for any of the incidents the lawsuit cited.
Snyder said Monday that the restaurant did a poor job of vetting its staff.
"I'd advise them to get a better class of employees," Snyder said. OMAHA, Neb. — A Sidney police officer and his family have won $40,000 from a restaurant that had served them food tainted by an emplo... more -
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No words can truly describe this video.
We just think it would make a great Taco Bell commercial.
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Here's a breakdown of several major fast food chains and some surprising ingredients that help make up their signature products. McDonald's chicken alone includes a cleanser, a laxitive, and a foaming agent. Dimethylpolysiloxane, anyone? Here's a breakdown of several major fast food chains and some surprising ingredients that help make up their signature products. ... more
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Many Americans will be wagering on this week's baseball World Series. For Taco Bell, the stakes are a free taco for everyone in the United States.
The fast-food chain on Monday unveiled a promotion it is calling "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco," which will run through the best-of-seven match up. Many Americans will be wagering on this week's baseball World Series. For Taco Bell, the stakes are a free taco for everyone in t... more
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