Hip-hop duo Outkast’s trademark holding company High Schoolers LLC has filed a federal lawsuit against the Atlanta electronic dance music duo ATLiens. In the lawsuit, obtained by Pitchfork, lawyers for the LLC claim that Outkast coined the term “ATLiens,” and that they’ve utilized it and owned the trademark for it since 1996. The lawyers claim that the EDM duo has allegedly infringed the Outkast trademark and has allegedly used the trademark without authorization.

Going further, the lawyers say the allegedly competing trademark is “preventing the Plaintiff [High Schoolers LLC] from being able to obtain registrations for its senior ATLIENS mark.” They have also allegedly claimed that the duo’s choice to use the name was to “trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with Plaintiff’s ATLIENS album, song and mark, or at a minimum, to call to consumers’ minds Plaintiff’s famous ATLIENS album, song and mark.”

The EDM duo’s lawyers claim that they registered the trademark in 2020, and they have used the name since 2012 – long after the release of Outkast’s 1996 album ATLiens. Through the lawsuit, the LLC and its attorneys are allegedly asking the Georgia federal court to prevent the band ATLiens from using the “ATLiens” trademark. In addition, the LLC is asking for the cancellation of the duo’s competing trademark, among other requests.

Attorneys Abigail J. Remore and Peter E. Nussbaum shared the following statement with Pitchfork regarding the decision to bring about the lawsuit against the EDM duo: “This is a basic brand protection issue. Efforts to resolve this matter amicably were unfortunately unsuccessful and Outkast therefore had to file suit in order to protect the valuable name and trademark ATLIENS that it created and has continuously used for nearly 30 years.”

Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna