– Blogged by: @kristenshylin_
If the audacity were a person, it would certainly be the country band formerly known as Lady Antebellum.
According to People, the band, who recently changed its name to Lady A in June, filed a lawsuit against Black singer Anita White for the usage of the name.
White is a Blues singer who has used the name Lady A over the past 20 years.
Last month, the band announced its decision to drop “Antebellum” from their name. The members thought the word was problematic, given its connection to slavery, so they agreed to make their name more “inclusive.”
After learning how White has been using Lady A for the past two decades, the band members stated on social media that they “connected privately” with the performer.
The group posted a photo from a Zoom call with White captioning it,” Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had.”
The band shared that they look forward to establishing “positive solutions” with the singer.
Along with reaching a common ground with White, the group proposed a new project featuring the Blues singer.
”When we learned that Ms. White had also been performing under the name Lady A, we had heartfelt discussions with her about how we can all come together and make something special and beautiful out of this moment.”
Despite the band’s claims of reaching an agreement from both sides to “peacefully coexist,” White told Newsday that she was “not happy” with the arrangement.
White also mentioned that she believes the band’s camp is trying to erase her.
”Trust is important, and I no longer trust them,” White told the publication.
Following her discussion with the group, White’s legal team drafted a new agreement demanding $10 million in exchange for further coexistence.
In response to White’s latest request, the band released a statement disclosing that they will no longer be working with White “for that greater purpose.”
”We hope Anita and the adviser she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. We can do so much more together than in this dispute.”
The group’s camp countered White’s new agreement with a lawsuit.
The suit stated that White is demanding “an exorbitant payment in exchange for continued coexistence, notwithstanding the previous absence of discussion of any payment (other than reimbursement of nominal attorneys’ fees), gives rise to imminent controversy, demonstrating a course of action from which a threat of suit could be inferred based on White’s charge of infringement.”
The band’s counsel justified its name change by implying that the group has used Lady A interchangeably with Lady Antebellum since 2006.
The counsel mentioned that the group registered the name for entertainment purposes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ten years ago. The band’s attorneys said the singer “did not oppose” to applications and “has not sought to cancel any of the Lady A registrations,” People reported.
In the filing, the band made it clear that there a not asking for money. Instead, they are requesting a declaration stating that their use of the name does not infringe on White’s trademark rights or “her non-trademark use of Lady A. to identify herself as a musical performer.”
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