Chubby Checker 2010 - P 2013
Bill McKay/Getty ImagesChubby Checker the singer has met Chubby Checker the app. And he’s not happy about it. The iconic singer is suing Hewlett-Packard for including an app on its phones and tablets that was not only named after the 71-year-old Checker, but it measured a man’s manhood based on his shoe size.
Checker is suing HP for $500,000,000 as a result, his lawyers arguing that customers were “misled into believing that the plaintiffs have endorsed the defendant’s app.” He fears the app might associate his name with sexual and obscene images.
The lawsuit, which was reported by the New York Daily News, asserts that Checker “received no compensation for the unauthorized use of the Chubby Checker name and trademark.”
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The app, which was developed by Magic Apps, was reportedly downloaded 84 times before it was discontinued in September of last year.
Still, Checker and pals aren’t happy.
“We cannot sit idly and watch as technology giants or anyone else exploits the name or likeness of an innocent person with the goal of making millions of dollars,” said Willie Gary, Checker’s attorney. “The defendants have marketed Chubby Checkers’ name on their product to gain a profit and this just isn’t right.”
