MUMBAI: The British teen-pop band One Direction has been sued by a Californian band of the same name.
The Californian band claimed that they had trademark the title first at the US Patent and Trademark Office. The US group are also suing Simon Cowell's record label and Sony Music for $1m in damages. The federal lawsuit was filed on Monday in California Central District Court. The band claims to be entitled to three times the profits made by their rivals and also the compensatory damages in excess of US$1 million.
The lawsuit states that the California band has been using the name One Direction since late 2009 and has recorded two albums. The band filed an application to register the trademark name in the United States in February 2011.
The British band made up of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles were discovered on Cowell's British talent show The X Factor in 2010. The group has recently enjoyed the American success as their debut album ‘Up All Night’ entered the Billboard charts at number one last month in the United States.
The five-man Californian band has low profile and the group led by singer/pianist Sean O'Leary plays at local fairs and bars.