Neil Young put together a fresh group last year called the Chrome Hearts, and they dropped their first album, Talkin to the Trees, back in June.
Suddenly, things got messy: a lawsuit has popped up from the fashion company Chrome Hearts, who claim Neil and his band are stepping on their trademark by using the same name and selling merch that looks a lot like theirs. The legal complaint, which landed in a California court on September 11, says that Chrome Hearts has owned the CHROME HEARTS® name and its cool logo since way back in 1991, and they’re not happy about anyone else using it.
The fashion brand’s lawyers say, “The likelihood of confusion is not merely hypothetical. Some clothing and apparel vendors have apparently already mistakenly assumed that there is a connection between NYTCH and Chrome Hearts, and are actively promoting that purported connection.” They even mentioned that t-shirts are out there with both Neil Young’s name and the famous Chrome Hearts design, which is causing a lot of mix-ups.
Fans think it’s wild how quickly things can go from music to courtrooms.
Apparently, Chrome Hearts let Neil’s team know about the problem in July, but the band just kept touring and selling their stuff anyway. Now, the lawsuit is asking Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts to stop using that name for good.
No one from Neil’s side or the fashion company has said anything about it yet, at least not to the public.
