UK boy band One Direction is being sued by California pop/punk group One Direction for using their name.
The One Direction from California
The US band filed their papers claiming $1 million in damages in the Federal Court today.
The San Jose pop/punk group has been around since 2009, one year before Simon Cowell invented his One Direction. The US band filed an application to register the trademark for the name in February 2011.
The UK boy band were from the seventh season of The X Factor in 2010. They came third behind winner Matt Cardle and runner-up Rebecca Ferguson.
The Californian One Direction features Sean O’Leary (vocals, piano), Isaiah Chavez-Pickett (lead guitar), Scott Nagareda (bass guitar) and Adam Davis (drums).
The indie rock band has released music through iTunes and performs in Battle of the Bands shows and street fairs around San Francisco. The US band claims they have tried to negotiate a settlement unsuccessfully with Simon Cowell’s Syco Records.
