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No thank you for the music – ABBA sues ‘official’ tribute band

Supergroup ABBA is suing British cover band ABBA Mania in the US over a trade mark infringement.

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Published 9 December 2021

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Supergroup ABBA is suing British cover band ABBA Mania in the US over a trade mark infringement. It is the second case in as many months following Tina Turner suing a German tribute act claiming she looks too much like the real thing.

Howard Ricklow comments:

“ABBA is looking for its ‘Waterloo’ suing the British tribute act ABBA Mania. The court documents, filed in the District Court of Manhattan, describe the cover band’s “behaviour as parasitic and in bad faith”.

“The tribute band described themselves as ‘official’ and ‘original’ in their marketing materials, with ABBA saying it ‘gives consumers the impression that there is some kind of association, affiliation, or sponsorship between ABBA and ABBA Mania’.

“The US action seems to be a mix of trade mark infringement by the band on the word ‘ABBA’ and, in terms of English law, ‘passing off’ and ‘product endorsement’ by ABBA Mania as a result of the band describing themselves as ‘official’ implying that ABBA have endorsed them as their tribute band.

“It is, of course, all about the ‘Money, Money, Money’.”

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Shorter Reads

No thank you for the music – ABBA sues ‘official’ tribute band

Supergroup ABBA is suing British cover band ABBA Mania in the US over a trade mark infringement.

Published 9 December 2021

Associated sectors / services

  • Intellectual property
  • Intellectual property disputes
  • Media, arts and culture
  • Media arts and culture

Authors

Supergroup ABBA is suing British cover band ABBA Mania in the US over a trade mark infringement. It is the second case in as many months following Tina Turner suing a German tribute act claiming she looks too much like the real thing.

Howard Ricklow comments:

“ABBA is looking for its ‘Waterloo’ suing the British tribute act ABBA Mania. The court documents, filed in the District Court of Manhattan, describe the cover band’s “behaviour as parasitic and in bad faith”.

“The tribute band described themselves as ‘official’ and ‘original’ in their marketing materials, with ABBA saying it ‘gives consumers the impression that there is some kind of association, affiliation, or sponsorship between ABBA and ABBA Mania’.

“The US action seems to be a mix of trade mark infringement by the band on the word ‘ABBA’ and, in terms of English law, ‘passing off’ and ‘product endorsement’ by ABBA Mania as a result of the band describing themselves as ‘official’ implying that ABBA have endorsed them as their tribute band.

“It is, of course, all about the ‘Money, Money, Money’.”

Associated sectors / services

  • Intellectual property
  • Intellectual property disputes
  • Media, arts and culture
  • Media arts and culture

Authors

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