College Dropout (restaurant)

Last updated

College Dropout is a burger chain in Melbourne, Australia. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The restaurant is known, in-part, for having made international headlines after being unsuccessfully sued by the American musician Kanye West for intellectual property infringement. [5] [2] [6]

It was initially named for West's album The College Dropout without his permission or endorsement. Initially, the restaurant also included the Dropout Bear as a mascot, and had burgers named for other things in West's career.

Description

The restaurant debuted in Ivanhoe, Victoria. [2] It later opened a location on the CBD campus of RMIT University. [7] It was opened by Mark Elkhouri, also responsible for the Melbourne dessert chain 'Nuts-about-tella'. [8]

Initially, the burger restaurant was heavily styled based on the music career of Kanye West. Menu items at the restaurant were named for things associated with West; such as songs, albums or lyrics. Examples included the Graduation which was essentially a classic smashed beef burger, the "Gold Digger", which was a fried chicken burger, and a breakfast burger named the "Good Morning". [1] [9]

The aesthetics of the restaurant also borrowed heavily from Kanye West's intellectual property. Signage of the Ivanhoe location included images resembling Dropout Bear, West's mascot. [2] None of the restaurant's reliance upon West's intellectual property occurred with his permission or endorsement. [2]

In 2022 the restaurant made international headlines after it was sued by Kanye West. Reportedly, the rapper followed the restaurant through its stories on Instagram, which the restaurant owner mistook as West's approval for the restaurant. [10] [11] [12] Later, West contacted the owner and sued the restaurant. [1] The restaurant changed its logo and the names of its burgers after being contacted by West, but continued to trade under the same name. [2]

The basis of the lawsuit was that Elkhouri had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct by falsely associating himself with Ye and his brand. [Note 1] In 2023 the case was dismissed by Justice Shaun McElwaine, because Ye and his lawyers had failed to comply with Australian Federal Court rules of procedure. [2] [13] [3] The restaurant was represented by Craig Smith SC. [3] In April 2023 the owner of the restaurant flew to the US to pursue West for legal damages. [14]

After the lawsuit, the names of the burgers were renamed to celebrities that had dropped out of college. Examples include the "Zucker burg", and other burgers named for Bill Gates, Brad Pitt, and Steve Jobs. [10] [13]

On their website recently, it looks like they have gone back to renaming their burgers after Kanye songs and other things related to him, as such as "Gorgeous", or "Famous".

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 'Personality Rights' do not exist as a form of intellectual property in Australia. Celebrities therefore need to rely upon 'misleading and deceptive conduct' as a basis for protecting their image and likeness

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanye West</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1977)

Ye is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), was met with critical acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He peaked the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T.", and "Carnival" (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatburger</span> American restaurant chain

Fatburger North America Inc. is an American fast casual restaurant chain owned by FAT Brands. Its tagline is The Last Great Hamburger Stand. While it is a fast-food restaurant, the food is cooked and made to order. Some Fatburger restaurants have liquor licenses as well as "fat bars". Its franchise headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California. In addition to the United States, the chain operates in 19 other countries. The Fatburger menu is centered primarily on hamburgers, offering various sizes and numbers of patties, along with add-ons such as cheese, bacon and eggs.

<i>The College Dropout</i> 2004 studio album by Kanye West

The College Dropout is the debut studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. In the years leading up to release, West had received praise for his production work for rappers such as Jay-Z and Talib Kweli, but faced difficulty being accepted as an artist in his own right by figures in the music industry. Intent on pursuing a solo career, he signed a record deal with Roc-A-Fella and recorded the album over a period of four years, beginning in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanye West albums discography</span>

American rapper Kanye West has released 10 studio albums, four collaborative studio albums, one compilation album, one demo album, two live albums, one video album, and five mixtapes. All ten of his studio albums have been certified at least gold in the United States. As of June 2021, West has certified 25 million equivalent solo albums units in the United States, placing him among the highest-certified music artists in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Through the Wire</span> 2003 single by Kanye West

"Through the Wire" is the debut solo single by American rapper and producer Kanye West, who wrote and recorded the song with his jaw wired shut after a car crash on October 23, 2002. The song samples Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire" and was released on the last day of September 2003 as the lead single from his debut album The College Dropout (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus Walks</span> Song by Kanye West

"Jesus Walks" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on May 25, 2004, as the fourth single from his debut album The College Dropout (2004). The song contains a sample of "Walk with Me" as performed by the ARC Choir. "Jesus Walks" was acclaimed by music critics, who praised its compelling sonic atmosphere and boldness in its open embrace of faith. It was met by widespread commercial success, peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming West's fourth consecutive top-twenty hit in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Falls Down</span> Kanye West song

"All Falls Down" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West. It was released as the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song was written and produced by West and features singer Syleena Johnson. The hip hop song contains an interpolation of "Mystery of Iniquity" by Lauryn Hill from her live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0; Hill is credited as a composer.

"Two Words" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West, that features Mos Def, Freeway and The Boys Choir of Harlem, from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). A cinematic version of the song was released as part of The College Dropout Video Anthology. It has been performed by Freeway regularly at his live shows over the years. An orchestral sound is used in the song. The music video was released in March 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow Jamz</span> 2003 single by Twista

"Slow Jamz" is a song by American rapper Twista together with the American rapper and producer Kanye West and American singer Jamie Foxx. Produced by West, it was released in November 2003 through Atlantic and Roc-A-Fella Records, as the lead single from Twista's fourth studio album Kamikaze (2004), and the second single from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). The song was written by Twista and West, with additional writing credits going to Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the sampling of Luther Vandross' cover of Dionne Warwick's 1964 song "A House Is Not a Home". Containing genres of hip hop, pop rap, R&B, and soul, the song's lyrics reference slow jam artists and describes the role of lovermen.

<i>The College Dropout Video Anthology</i> 2005 video by Kanye West

The College Dropout Video Anthology is a DVD release featuring the music videos to the singles from American rapper Kanye West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004), released on March 22, 2005. It featured the videos to the previously unreleased "Two Words", "Slow Jamz", "Through the Wire", "All Falls Down", the three versions of "Jesus Walks", and "The New Workout Plan".

The legal issues of Burger King include several legal disputes and lawsuits involving the international fast food restaurant chain Burger King (BK) as both plaintiff and defendant in the years since its founding in 1954. These have involved almost every aspect of the company's operations. Depending on the ownership and executive staff at the time of these incidents, the company's responses to these challenges have ranged from a conciliatory dialog with its critics and litigants to a more aggressive opposition with questionable tactics and negative consequences. The company's response to these various issues has drawn praise, scorn, and accusations of political appeasement from different parties over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grill'd</span> Australian multinational casual dining restaurant chain

Grill'd is an Australian-owned multinational casual dining restaurant chain specialising in healthy burgers. Founded by Simon Crowe in 2004 in Hawthorn, Melbourne, the group now has over 150 restaurants.

Adidas Yeezy was a fashion collaboration between American rapper, designer, and entrepreneur Kanye West's Yeezy and German sportswear company Adidas. It offered sneakers in limited edition colorways, as well as shirts, jackets, track pants, socks, slides, lingerie and slippers. The first shoe model was released in February 2015. In 2020 Forbes described Yeezy's rise as "one of the great retail stories of the century". Yeezy influenced and inspired a multitude of other fashion brands. Outside of the former Adidas collaboration, Yeezy is the name of Kanye's company Yeezy LLC and is not connected to Adidas.

<i>Ye</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Kanye West

Ye is the eighth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 1, 2018, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Following controversy surrounding an interview with TMZ, West re-recorded all the work on the album, with him completing it over the course of just two weeks at West Lake Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Guest vocals from PartyNextDoor, Ty Dolla Sign, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Jeremih, and 070 Shake, among others, are included.

"Champions" is a collaborative song by hip hop artists Damon Dash, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Young Chris and Twista. It is listed as the first track on the second disc of the Paid in Full soundtrack. The song includes a sped-up sample of "We Are the Champions" by Queen. It was originally scheduled to be a bonus track on West's album The College Dropout (2004).

"Spaceship" is a song by American musician Kanye West, featuring fellow American rappers GLC and Consequence, taken from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). It was scheduled to be released as the album's sixth and final single, but this plan ended up being cancelled. The music video was released in June 2009. "Spaceship II" and "Spaceship III" were released by Alex Wiley in 2013 and Consequence in 2017.

"Never Let Me Down" is a song by American rapper and producer Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and J. Ivy, from West's debut studio album The College Dropout (2004). It was released as the album's eight track, produced solely by West and samples "Maybe It's the Power of Love" by Blackjack. West and Ivy each provide one verse–the latter is a poem–while Jay-Z has two verses. Music critics mostly had praise for it, but tended to view Jay's appearance in a negative light. In 2011, Billboard listed the song as the second greatest collaboration between Kanye and Jay. Although an accompanying music video wasn't ever produced for "Never Let Me Down", the audio of it was used in one of West's videos for "Jesus Walks". The song has developed a significant legacy over time, despite never being released as a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca Censori</span> Australian architect

Bianca Censori is an Australian architect and model. Censori married Kanye West in a private ceremony in December 2022.

Donda Academy is an unaccredited Christian private school for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, located in Simi Valley, California, United States. It was founded in 2022 by American rapper Ye. During the admissions and hiring process, parents, faculty and staff are required to comply with the following stipulations: a non-disclosure agreement must be signed, the school's location must be kept secret and all members of the school community must refrain from publicly discussing the school's existence, practices and any other non-public details. All students, faculty and staff are required to adhere to the school dress code of black Balenciaga uniforms designed by West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.East</span> Australian burger chain

B.East is a hamburger chain in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to food service, it is known for operating as a live venue for music and comedy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Juanola, Erin Pearson, Marta Pascual (2022-10-24). "Rapper Ye takes Melbourne restaurant College Dropout Burgers to Federal Court". The Age. Retrieved 2023-06-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thompson, Jesse (2023-03-03). "Rapper Ye's lawsuit against Melbourne burger shop thrown out following 'very unsatisfactory' conduct". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  3. 1 2 3 Estcourt, David (2023-02-10). "'Done nothing': Ye's burger case goes cold after no response from rapper". The Age. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. ↑ Fry, Courtney (2022-06-30). "Kanye West Sent A Melb Burger Joint A Cease & Desist For Using His Albums To Sell Grub". PEDESTRIAN.TV. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  5. ↑ Gallagher, Alex (2022-07-01). "Kanye West reportedly demands Melbourne burger restaurant to change logo and burger names". NME. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  6. ↑ "Kanye West burger case thrown out of Melbourne court after US rapper's lawyers' no-show". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 2023-03-03. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  7. ↑ honeypenguin (2019-05-13). "The College Dropout". The Penguin Eats. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  8. ↑ Elmas, Matthew (2018-11-05). "Extravagant dessert retailer Nuts About Tella collapses amid ongoing pain for food operators". SmartCompany. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  9. ↑ "Nuts About Tella, The Famous Nutella Dessert Shop Is Dropping A New Kanye West Inspired Burger Joint". www.theurbanlist.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  10. 1 2 Graham, Jackson (2022-06-30). "Not rapt: Kanye West orders Melbourne fan to change store logo, burger names". The Age. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  11. ↑ Andriyashchuk, Yuriy (2021-12-31). "Australian Restaurant Is Making Kanye 'College Dropout' Burgers". The Blast. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  12. ↑ Staxxssss (2022-07-02). "Australian Burger Joint Forced To Rebrand After Kanye West Sent Them A Cease And Desist Letter For Naming The Restaurant "College Dropout Burgers"". Baller Alert. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  13. 1 2 "Major development in Kanye West's lawsuit against Aussie burger shop". 7NEWS. 2023-03-03. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  14. ↑ "Fresh twist after Kanye West's lawsuit against Aussie burger shop". 7NEWS. 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-06-27.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.