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Five months after Rudolph Isley sued his brother Ronald Isley over issues relating to the trademark for their R&B group, The Isley Brothers, it looks like there’s no sign that the matter will be quickly resolved anytime soon!
In fact, Ronald and Rudolph are officially headed to court to hash the lawsuit out in front of a jury.
Billboard reports that the development came on Wednesday (Aug. 23) after Judge Thomas M. Durkin ruled against the lawsuit’s dismissal.
Durkin reportedly denied the request because of the “unique circumstances” surrounding the dispute. As a result, both sides will gather evidence before the case eventually heads to trial.
In a statement to Pitchfork, Brian D. Caplan — one of Rudolph’s attorneys — said his client was pleased with Ronald’s request for dismissal being denied.
“Rudolph Isley is encouraged by the court’s decision denying his brother’s motion to dismiss his complaint. Mr. Isley looks forward to obtaining a declaration confirming his 50% ownership interest in the band name ‘The Isley Brothers,’ with respect to the band that he formed with his two brothers, Ronald and O’Kelly, in 1954.”
As The Shade Room reported, the drama between Rudolph and Ronald Isley made headlines earlier this year after the former accused the latter of attempting to keep their ‘Isley Brothers’ trademark all to himself.
In November 2021, Ronald filed for exclusive rights to the band name, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registered the trademark in August 2022.
In turn, Rudolph sued and alleged that, following the passing of O’Keefe Isley in 1986, he and Ronald each had 50% ownership over the group name.
However, Ronald says that since Rudolph allegedly hasn’t performed under the ‘Isley Brothers’ name in decades, he gave up his rights to the trademark. He requested the lawsuit be thrown out, but it doesn’t look like the situation will be handled so easily.
