Lady Gaga eyes legal action over breast milk ice cream
Lawyers for US pop icon Lady Gaga have threatened legal proceedings against the makers of breast milk ice cream named “Baby Gaga”, according to papers seen by AFP on Saturday.
The New York singer’s lawyers have given the manufacturers until 1600 GMT Wednesday to change the name “if you wish to avoid proceedings for trade mark infringement and passing off”, according to a letter addressed to London restaurant The Icecreamists Limited.
The cafe in the trendy Covent Garden district must also “cease and desist from in any other way associating with Lady Gaga any ice cream you are offering,” said the letter from law firm Mishcon de Reya.
The letter accuses The Icecreamists of “taking unfair advantage of, and riding on the coattails of” Lady Gaga’s trademarks in a manner that is “deliberately provocative and, to many people, nausea-inducing”.
The ice cream has proved a big hit, with the first batch sold out within days of going on sale. It is made with milk expressed by 15 women who replied to an advertisement posted on an online mothers’ forum.
Each serving costs £14 and is brought out by waitresses wearing flamboyant costumes, something Lady Gaga is well-known for.
But it is now off the menu after Westminster City Council, the local authority, seized the ice cream for health and safety checks.
“We are taking the ice cream away for samples,” a spokeswoman told AFP, adding that they expected the results on Monday.
“It’s not a ban. The owner has voluntarily agreed not to make any more or sell any more until we’ve got all the results.”
Breast milk could carry viral infections, including hepatitis, she explained.
The manufacturers have said they use the same screening procedures as blood donation centres or milk banks in London.
Lady Gaga needs to get over herself! She does NOT own the word Gaga! Also, breast milk ice cream is foul! It should be illegal to sell the breast milk ice cream not to name it Baby Gaga. I must admit that it is apropos, however; both are horrific!
Not too long ago a restauranteur was using his wife’s breast milk to make cheese that he was serving to customers of the restaurant. A major health hazard, to be sure!
Lady Gaga is the worst!
Breast milk ice cream! I’ve never heard of it!
I guess I wouldn’t want my name associated to it either. Was she made her name was associated to such a bad product or is she mad Gaga was used and it rocketed the ice cream to the top of the charts for ice cream?!?!
I think everyone is just too sue happy…especially her!
-Sara
If more and more cases were thrown out of court and we put a cap on punitive damages in this Country, the number of law suits would go down dramatically!
Litigation is out of control in the U.S. as we are all so aware and sleezy ambulance chasers have managed to put a major dent in the entire healthcare industry!