Some say you haven't tasted success until you are sued. If that's true, then it's official: One Direction is quickly becoming one of the most successful acts out there. The BBC reported Wednesday that One Direction is suing One Direction for being One Direction.
Oh, and for trademark infringement. Confused? It boils down to this: a pop-punk California band, also named One Direction, is upset that the U.K. boy-banders took the name and, subsequently, the trademark, of the group. If the lawsuit documents are correct, California One Direction has been using the name since 2009 and recorded two albums. However, try to find California One Direction on the Internet, even on MySpace, and you're overwhelmed with Nial Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. No signs of anyone from California online; it's all a tad suspicious.
California One Direction is suing for more than $1 million in damages in a classic trademark infringement suit, stating that they have suffered "substantial confusion and substantial damage" to their careers from 1D. California One Direction is also suing Simon Cowell's entertainment company, Syco Entertainment, and Sony Music.
What's even stranger about this situation, though, is that California One Direction claims they've been around since 2009 -- a year before 1D was formed on the U.K. version of The X Factor -- but they didn't apply to trademark "One Direction" until February 2011. Moreover, all of this is happening now, only a week after 1D performed on Saturday Night Live and nearly on the same day that the five-piece band announced its expansive world tour.
No word yet on when the suit will be heard.
California One Direction:
British One Direction:
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