A team of Fox Rothschild attorneys, including New York-based Tim Mandelbaum, Minneapolis-based Tim Matson and Atlanta-based duo Leron E. Rogers and John T. Rose, secured a major victory for Scott Arceneaux, Jr. and Aristos Petrou — members of the multiplatinum music group $uicideboy$ — along with G59 Merchandising, Inc., the entity through which the group markets and sells its merchandise.

The firm has successfully represented the client in a series of trademark infringement lawsuits involving the unauthorized sale of counterfeit merchandise. On August 5, our team won a key U.S. District Court ruling reinforcing the group’s rights and brand integrity across multiple jurisdictions.

More than a decade into its career, $uicideboy$ is one of the most successful and lucrative independent music acts in the industry. Its 2024 tour was the year’s third-highest grossing rap tour, behind only Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj. Gracing the July cover of Billboard Magazine, its members are the proud co-founders of their own label, G59 Records.

The group’s popularity has supported several nationwide tours and a growing merch business that made over $30 million in 2024. During each tour, the Fox team has filed a complaint on the group’s behalf seeking, among other things, an ex parte order for the seizure of counterfeit merchandise being sold in the vicinity of $uicideboy$ performances. In each case, $uicideboy$ was successfully able to seize considerable amounts of counterfeit merchandise from bootleggers all over the country.

Before the enactment of the Trademark Counterfeiting Act (TCA), courts occasionally permitted ex parte seizures under the Lanham Act, despite limited statutory guidance. The TCA codified these procedures to balance due process protections with the need to combat the bad-faith tactics of commercial counterfeiters.

In a key ruling issued on August 5, Judge Steven D. Grimberg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia concluded that no court has issued an order comprehensively addressing whether exercise of personal jurisdiction over defendants outside of a court’s district is consistent with due process. The court ultimately held that it had the constitutional authority to exercise personal jurisdiction over the various defendants, even those without apparent connections to the district.

The court's ruling adds much needed clarity on the split decisions issued by courts nationwide and allows our client to proceed with their claims against John Doe defendants who have been accused of selling counterfeit $uicideBoy$ merchandise at various locations across the U.S. throughout their 2025 Tour.

Associate Samuel R. Finkel of the firm’s Philadelphia office assisted with filings related to the group’s 2025 tour. Client service specialist Antonia Acevedo provided administrative support throughout.