Dr. Dre Loses Trademark Battle with a Gynecologist Named Dr. Drai (Updated)

Hip-hop legend Dr. Dre has lost a trademark dispute against a gynecologist named Dr. Drai.

Pennsylvania gynecologist Draion M. Burch tried to trademark the name Dr. Drai in 2015, but Dr. Dre objected, citing potential confusion with his own trademark. Dr. Dre planned to use his trademark to expand into audiobooks and seminars, which he said could cause confusion if Dr. Drai was granted a trademark to sell similar products.

The case was launched in 2015, and the U.S. trademark office has finally dismissed Dr. Dre’s case. The ruling, which was made last week, found that Dr. Dre had failed to show how people might mistakenly buy Dr. Drai’s products instead of his own. The TTAB ruled neutrally as to whether it would be plausible for a consumer to accidentally buy a Dr. Drai product, given that the doctor’s average public speaking fee is $5,000, pointing out in their opinion that a consumer would not be willing to shell out that kind of money for a product that they didn’t do their research on, but also noting that “the fact that some purchasers may exercise care before utilizing these services does not mean there can be no likelihood of confusion.”