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Do-Wa Diddy Daddy Puff Diddy Do

The IPKat has received news both from the BBC and from his friend the eagle-eyed Alexander Tsoutsanis that rap superstar Sean Combs (left), sometimes known as Diddy and otherwise as P Diddy, Puff Daddy or Puffy, to pay Richard Dearlove in excess of £110,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement over the right to be known as Diddy. Combs has also agreed not to style himself as Diddy in the UK - although it will be difficult, if not downright impossible, to stop others calling him that.

The Genuine British Diddy is London-based music producer Richard Dearlove, who has been Diddy since 1992. Dearlove sued for passing off after learning that the rapper had dropped the P from his name and had decided to relaunch himself solely as Diddy. It is reported that Combs will have to embark on a costly rebrand of his commercial activities in the UK.

The IPKat has some doubt as to whether the passing off action would have succeeded: it is difficult to imagine the rapper trying to pass himself off as Richard Dearlove in order to cash in on the latter's goodwill. He also suspects that Richard Dearlove had to change his name to Diddy in order to avoid being mistaken for the Head of MI6, the original Richard Dearlove (right). Merpel humbly suggests, at no extra cost, the following new names for Combs: D Piffy, Duff Paddy, Puff Daffy ...

Puff Adder here
Do-Wah Diddy Diddy here