OutKast sue dubstep duo ATLiens for trademark infringement

ATLiens began using their name in 2012, sixteen years after OutKast released their hit song “ATLiens.”

Rap group OutKast has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Georgia federal court this week against dubstep duo ATLiens. OutKast, consisting of Big Boi and Andre 3000, released an album titled ‘ATLiens’ in 1996 including a title track that became one of their most famous songs. The song remains one of their most well-known to this day, remaining firmly in their top 10 songs on Spotify with over 185 million listens.

The name ATLiens is a mix of the word “aliens” and the abbreviation for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, where both OutKast and the dubstep duo hail from. The dubstep group ATLiens began using the name in 2012, but OutKast claim in the lawsuit that they were not aware of their existence until recently. Additionally, in the lawsuit, the rap group claims that the term “did not exist” until they created it in 1996 and the dubstep group’s use of it is “likely to cause confusion, to cause mistake, or to deceive the public.”

OutKast also point out that ATLiens play their “ATLiens” song “at nearly all (if not every single one) of its full-length live performances,” which further conflates the two groups. They further note that, since ATLiens perform wearing full masks, it’s entirely possible that fans could think that the two people on stage are Big Boi and Andre 3000. Other potentially misleading branding is also referenced in the lawsuit, including a concert poster for an upcoming Atlanta show that is allegedly similar to a past OutKast poster.

The lawyers from OutKast note that they reached out to ATLiens attempting to “negotiate an amicable resolution to the dispute,” but were not able to reach any sort of agreement. ATLiens and their legal representation have yet to comment on the situation.

Featured Image: Instagram/OutKast and Instagram/ATLiens