Earth, Wind & Fire are suing a competing ‘legacy reunion’ act using their trademark. On Wednesday (March 8), Rolling Stone reported that Earth Wind & Fire IP, LLC — the rights holder of the band’s trademarks following the 2016 death of founder and lead EWF vocalist Maurice White – filed a lawsuit against Substantial Music Group and Stellar Communications in a Miami U.S. District Court at the beginning of the week. EWF claims that the legacy act is being advertised as the actual group, not a cover band.
“Beginning in about 2019, Defendants hired a few musicians who previously had played with the [group] as side musicians for brief periods up to three decades previously, along with other musicians who had never played with [the group] to perform songs that the real Earth, Wind & Fire made famous,” the lawsuit reads.
“To increase ticket sales to these concerts, Defendants hatched a scheme to falsely imply in advertising that this new group was the real Earth, Wind & Fire. Defendants did this to benefit from the commercial magnetism and immense goodwill the public has for Plaintiff’s ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ marks and logos, thereby misleading consumers and selling more tickets at higher prices to shows Defendants promote than would be sold if Defendants honestly advertised who was rendering these performances.”
Read full article at
Earth, Wind & Fire Sues ‘Legacy Reunion’ Band for Trademark Infringement