C+C Music Factory Co-Founder Robert Clivillés Sues Freedom Williams in Trademark Battle
- HL News Desk
- 11 minutes ago
- 1 min read
NEW YORK — C+C Music Factory co-founder Robert Clivillés has taken his long-running dispute with former frontman Freedom Williams to federal court.
Clivillés filed suit Friday, Aug. 14, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Williams, Freedom Williams Entertainment LLC and other defendants, escalating a battle over the name and legacy of one of the biggest dance acts of the 1990s.
The case centers on the C+C Music Factory trademark, with Clivillés alleging Williams improperly obtained and profited from the name through years of live performances. In announcing the action, Clivillés said he is seeking control of the trademark, $10 million in alleged unpaid performance revenue and $30 million in damages. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
Clivillés, a New York-born producer of Puerto Rican ancestry, created C+C Music Factory with the late David Cole in 1989. Before C+C, the pair emerged from New York’s influential club scene, with Clivillés performing as part of 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican.
Williams became the highly recognizable rapper and frontman during C+C’s breakthrough, appearing on the 1990 smash “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).”
The new lawsuit could now determine who ultimately controls one of dance music’s most recognizable names — more than three decades after C+C Music Factory ruled the charts.
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