C+C Music Factory co-founder sues Freedom Williams for $30 million over trademark claims

Robert Clivillés, surviving co-founder of C+C Music Factory, filed a civil action in the Eastern District of New York on August 14, demanding $30 million from Freedom Williams. The complaint lists defamation, fraud, trademark infringement, unfair competition and breach of contract among the alleged violations. Clivillés points to a seven-minute video Williams posted on the group’s official Instagram account, which contained offensive language and references to Adolf Hitler, as the final provocation.

He asserts that Williams has been using the C+C Music Factory name without authorization since 1996, collecting fees for performances and releasing recordings through Big Mac Entertainment, LLC. The lawsuit also references a 2016 petition to cancel Williams’s trademark that was dismissed due to a filing error, and a prior settlement that gave Clivillés exclusive rights to the brand. Clivillés indicates he is open to a compromise, noting that Williams briefly billed himself as “Freedom Williams formerly of C+C Music Factory” before resuming the disputed usage.