Diddy has reached a settlement with a London-based music producer with whom he shares his chosen moniker, agreeing to go by another name when in the U.K. Here’s what went down: London producer Richard “Diddy” Dearlove (best known for a 1990s dance remix of Blondie’s “Atomic”) filed a suit against the rapper born Sean Combs, suggesting that Combs’ use of the name “Diddy” in Britain led to unfair competition due to confusion over their names. The case was set to go to High Court in the U.K. next month, but Dearlove’s lawyers say Combs has agreed to “rebrand his commercial activities” in Britain and would “no longer be able to trade in the U.K. as “Diddy.” “I started getting e-mails from Puerto Rican girls asking if they could be in my video and people were asking me to look at their clothing line,” Dearlove told The Guardian. Combs reportedly agreed to pay Dearlove’s legal costs as well as “significant” damages, according to Dearlove’s counsel. “It doesn’t matter how big people become,” Dearlove said. “This is my name. I’ve been successful too. I’m not a global megastar, but what I do is valid.”
Talk: What name should Combs go by in the U.K.? May we suggest Tea Diddy? COMMENT
On the Web:
Dearlove’s official site
Combs’ official site
