American rapper and actor, Ice Cube has filed a lawsuit against trading app, Robinhood, over his photo. The celebrity’s lawyers berated the trading platform, describing it as an “unscrupulous and predatory conglomerate that professes to be a financial services company for the everyday person; a wolf in sheep’s clothing; and another get-rich-quick scheme.
According to US media reports, the photo shows Ice Cube in the 2007 comedy film Are We Done Yet with the caption, “Correct yourself, before you wreck yourself” – a reference to the rapper’s 1992 song Check Yo Self.
The lawsuit, as per FoxNews, states that human lives are simply collateral damage as Robinhood single-mindedly rushes toward an initial public offering, so its feckless and apathetic Millennial founders can jump ship and live out their days in luxury and hedonism. It said the app and its subsidiary have now used the image and likeness of Ice Cube, without his permission to promote Robinhood’s terrible products and services.
“In a cynical effort to appeal to a young demographic, Robinhood has engaged celebrity endorses such as Jay Z, Nas, and Jared Leto to endorse its products and services. However, in an act of unmitigated gall and transparent retribution, Robinhood and its subsidiary have now used the image and likeness of Ice Cube, without his permission.”
A Robinhood spokesman said the image was licensed and used for non-commercial, editorial purposes in connection with a blog article. The lawsuit also highlights that the platform agreed to pay $65 million settlement with the SEC in December 2020 and is currently facing more than 50 class-action lawsuits.
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Reports also highlight that the app came under fire in January after halting a basket of heavily traded stocks, such as GameStop and AMC, leaving customers in the lurch. This prompted an outcry from the retail investing community and competitors.
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