Rolling Stone quoted Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate Wesley Lewis in an article about potential trademark infringement issues that may result from country group Lady Antebellum’s recent name change to “Lady A,” a name currently used by a blues singer.
Here is an excerpt:
Seattle blues singer Lady A had just gotten off of work on Thursday when a bombardment of phone messages from friends, fans and producers came in all shouting the same thing: Her name had been stolen.
Earlier that day, Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum — whose name had been criticized for its associations with romanticized ideas of the pre-war, slavery-ridden American South — announced they were changing their name to Lady A in light of a heightened national conversation about racism. Lady Antebellum made the changes swiftly on social media and distribution platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, and the group’s website also announced their rechristening as Lady A. But according to Seattle’s Lady A, neither the band nor any members of their team reached out to her before making the change.
At issue is the possibility of trademark infringement. “Just like other goods and services in the marketplace such as Nike or McDonald’s, band names can be protected under trademark law,” explains intellectual-property attorney Wesley Lewis.
To read the full article, click here.