News Americas, QUEENS, NY, Fri. Jan. 11, 2013: A New York-based, Caribbean American company has unwittingly found itself in the middle of the Sean Paul drama.
Irie Jam Media, co-producers of Irie Jamboree, which dubs itself as “North America’s premier music festival,” has now been forced to defend its trademark over a book released by Susanne Persson, the woman who claims to be the ex-girlfriend of the singer born, Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques. She is suing him in a New York Court for US$80 million.
Persson claims that Paul not only had her illegally deported from Jamaica and drove her to repeated suicide attempts but he also subjected her to “starvation, homelessness and loss of an ability to generate income.”
Among the evidentiary documents Persson, a Swedish makeup artist and hairstylist, reportedly filed in the lawsuit is a self-written book titled ‘Irie Jamboree,’ a rambling memoirs that states it is ‘The Truth about Sean Paul’s Cocaine Dealings, Lies, Murders and Erection Problems.’
Bobby Clarke, CEO of Irie Jam Radio and co-producer Irie Jamboree, says he’s disturbed that since the Sean Paul lawsuit story broke, his office in Queens, NY “has been bombarded with calls from radio listeners, concerned citizens and friends of Irie Jam radio and Irie Jamboree inquiring about our involvement in the lawsuit.”
Clarke, in a statement issued with Steven Williams, the other co-producer Irie Jamboree, states that Irie Jam Media categorically has no connection with the case but “is flabbergasted and outraged as to the use of Irie Jamboree by Persson as the name of her tell all book, since Irie Jamboree is a registered trade name which we have used as the legal name of our festival since the inaugural concert was staged in 2003.”
Clarke and Williams say they have hired an attorney to determine what legal course if any, they need to immediately take, to protect their integrity and brand.
“We will aggressively fight to legally protect our brand and any damage that may result by the use of the name Irie Jamboree by Persson,” said a statement from Irie Jam.
