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The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has officially ruled in favor of Wiss and Marie Joseph, the rightful owners of the registered trademark “Zafem World Entertainment.” The decision marks a major victory for the couple, who have spent nearly a decade building their brand in Haitian-American music and entertainment.
In a memorandum decision issued on September 17, 2025, by Judge Brian M. Cogan, the court found that Dener Ceide, Deiner Ceide Productions, and the websites Zafemusic.com and Zafemepk.com had willfully infringed on the Josephs’ trademark. The court ordered the defendants to pay $1 million in damages and permanently barred them from using the “Zafem” name in any form related to music or entertainment.
According to court documents, the Josephs have legally owned the Zafem World Entertainment trademark for years, using it to promote concerts, cultural events, and Haitian-American entertainment. Despite this, the defendants continued using the name “Zafem” to promote their own music and events. When the plaintiffs sent multiple cease-and-desist letters demanding they stop, the defendants ignored them.
The case escalated after the defendants attempted to register the name “Zafem” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO rejected their application, ruling that it would infringe on the Josephs’ existing mark. Even then, the defendants persisted in using the name publicly and commercially.
Because the defendants never appeared in court or responded to the lawsuit, the judge entered a default judgment in favor of the plaintiffs. In his ruling, Judge Cogan found that the evidence clearly showed deliberate and unauthorized use of a protected trademark. He also noted that the defendants’ refusal to participate in the legal process showed “willful disregard” for the law.
While the Josephs had requested the maximum statutory award of $2 million, the judge awarded $1 million, explaining that the amount was appropriate given the defendants’ intentional actions and the impact on the plaintiffs’ brand. The ruling also included a permanent injunction, meaning the defendants are now legally prohibited from using “Zafem” or any similar name in the music or entertainment business.
The decision is not only a legal victory for the plaintiffs but also a reminder of the importance of intellectual property protection in the Haitian music industry, where name recognition and brand identity are vital to success.
With the judgment in place, the Josephs now have the right to enforce the injunction and seek collection of the awarded damages through federal enforcement procedures.
This case sends a strong message across the Haitian music community that ownership matters and that artists who create and build brands deserve to have their rights respected under the law.
OpaMusic.com will continue to follow developments in this case and any related filings or appeals that may arise.
Tribinal Federal bay Wiss ak Marie Joseph viktwa nan ka mak “Zafem” la, yo resevwa 1 milyon dola dedomajman
Tribinal Federal Distri Lès New York deside an favè Wiss ak Marie Joseph, pwopriyetè legal mak anrejistre “Zafem World Entertainment.” Desizyon sa a se yon gwo viktwa pou koup la ki depi prèske dis ane ap bati non yo nan endistri mizik ak amizman ayisyen-ameriken an.
Nan yon desizyon ki te pibliye 17 septanm 2025, Jij Brian M. Cogan jwenn ke Dener Ceide, Deiner Ceide Productions, ansanm ak sit entènèt Zafemusic.com ak Zafemepk.com, te vyole dwa mak komèsyal Joseph yo avèk entansyon. Tribinal la bay koup la 1 milyon dola dedomajman epi li entèdi ak defann akizasyon yo pou yo pa janm itilize non “Zafem” ankò nan okenn aktivite mizikal oswa komèsyal.
Dapre dokiman tribinal la, Wiss ak Marie Joseph posede mak Zafem World Entertainment la legalman depi plizyè ane. Yo te itilize non sa a pou òganize konsè, fèt kiltirèl, ak evènman mizik pou kominote ayisyen-ameriken an. Malgre sa, defandan yo te kontinye sèvi ak non “Zafem” pou fè pwomosyon pwòp mizik yo ak evènman yo. Lè Joseph yo te voye plizyè lèt avètisman pou mande yo sispann, yo pa t janm reponn.
Ka a te vin pi grav apre defandan yo te eseye anrejistre non “Zafem” nan U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Biwo federal sa a te rejte demann yo, paske li t ap vyole mak ki deja egziste sou non Joseph yo. Menm apre sa, defandan yo te kontinye sèvi ak non an piblikman ak komèsyalman.
Piske defandan yo pa t parèt nan tribinal la ni reponn plent lan, Jij la te pran yon desizyon default an favè Joseph yo. Nan jijman li, Jij Cogan di prèv yo montre klèman ke defandan yo te itilize yon mak pwoteje san otorizasyon, epi yo te fè sa avèk volonte. Li fè konnen tou refi yo pou patisipe nan pwosesis legal la montre “mepri volontè pou lwa a.”
Malgre Joseph yo te mande 2 milyon dola, tribinal la deside bay 1 milyon dola, li esplike kantite sa a apwopriye dapre zak volontè defandan yo ak domaj yo lakoz mak la. Jij la bay tou yon òdonans pèmanan, sa vle di defandan yo kounye a entèdi legalman pou sèvi ak non “Zafem” oswa nenpòt non ki sanble ak li nan domèn mizik oswa amizman.
Desizyon sa a se pa sèlman yon viktwa legal pou Joseph yo, men li se tou yon rapèl enpòtan sou valè pwoteksyon pwopriyete entelektyèl nan endistri mizik ayisyen an, kote repitasyon ak idantite mak yo gen gwo enpòtans.
Avèk jijman an kounye a an aplikasyon, Joseph yo gen dwa legal pou aplike òdonans la epi ranmase dedomajman yo atravè pwosedi federal.
Ka sa a voye yon mesaj klè nan tout kominote mizik ayisyen an: pwopriyete se pwoteksyon. Lè yon atis bati yon non, yon mak, oswa yon eritaj, dwa li yo dwe respekte dapre lalwa.
OpaMusic.com pral kontinye swiv evolisyon dosye sa a ak nenpòt lòt mouvman legal ki kapab fèt nan lavni.
