T for two?

Drinks company Tennents is locked in a legal battle with a small music promotions company over the use of the letter T in the title of the  new event, due to be staged at Strathclyde Park this year. And The brewers, who are “founding partners” of T in the Park, say the logo for tribute band festival Tfest infringes their trademarks. In response, Tfest promoters Bookaband Ltd have said it would cost them £50,000 to alter their logo and website. Festival director John Ure said: “We don’t understand why a huge company like Tennent’s can feel we threaten them. Tennent’s don’t own the letter T. “We contacted them months ago to show them our logo and didn’t get any objection at the time. But now our website is live, we’re hit with lawyers’ letters.” Tennent’s have alleged that the Tfest mark “bear[s] a close similarity” to T in the Park and will “inevitably” mislead fans into thinking the two festivals are linked saying “To call another event Tfest is confusing at best and misleading at worst.” adding “The T in the Park name, frequently shortened to T, took a great deal of time and effort to become established.”

The new event has tribute acts such as Coldplace, the Antarctic Monkeys and Oasish booked to play at the planned 5000 capacity event in July. .

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/tennents-locked-legal-battle-music-4988724 

One Direction face name dispute

British boy band One Direction are being been sued for trademark infringement by a California pop-rock group with the same name. Attorneys for the California band are seeking an injunction that would stop X-factor supremo Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment as well as the UK band from using the name One Direction and they also want a share of the profits earned by the chart-topping British boys.

Herb gets the Platters back

Herb Reed, the only remaining member of the Platters, has secure another victory for original members of 50's and 60's bands to retain the use their names after federal Judge Phillip M Pro issued an injunction against Monroe Powell who had been using the name “The Platters Featuring the Legendary Michael Powell” in performances in Las Vegas and other venues around the country. In his 14 page ruling Judge Pro said "Only You, Herb Reed have exclusive rights to the mark "The Platters."" He enjoined Powell from using "The Platters" and "any equivalent or phonetically similar names or marks, in connection with any vocal group in any advertisements, promotional, marketing, or other materials although did allow Powell to use the name where it was made clear it was a tribute or review show.