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Andrew Kerr
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@billboard
did not disclose in this article that Anita "Lady A" White is black.
https://twitter.com/AndrewKerrNC/status/1280992256670011393
LEGAL AND MANAGEMENT
The Band Lady A Files Lawsuit Against Singer Anita 'Lady A' White
The trio is asking a Nashville court to grant its right to the trademark Lady A.
Attorneys for Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum,
have filed a suit against blues singer Anita White who goes by the name Lady A
SHE IS BLACK, LANDY ANTEBELLUM IS ALL WHITE, SHNGING NAME FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER, SUING BLACK LADY WHO HAS ALWAYS WENT BY "LADY A"
Anita "Lady A" White says she's used the name for 20 years.
HAHAHAHAHA
WHITE LADY ANTEBELLUM WHAT FUCKING WHITE PRIVELIGE
According to the suit, filed Wednesday (July 8) in Nashville’s U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, the case arises from White’s “attempt to enforce purported trademarks rights in a mark that Plaintiffs have held for more than a decade.”
The suit also alleges that after conversations broke down between the band whose members are Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and David Haywood and the singer and their respective attorneys, White’s new counsel “delivered a draft settlement agreement that included an exorbitant monetary demand.” While the dollar figure is not mentioned in the suit, a statement concurrently issued by the band says the amount is $10 million.
Lady A Connects With Blues Singer Lady A Following Name Change
“Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended,” the group said in a statement. “She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.” (Read the statement in full below.)
On June 11, the band announced via Instagram that it was dropping the name Antebellum from its name after reflecting on the Black Lives Matter movement and in an effort to be more inclusive.
The next day, June 12, Seattle-based White, who says she has been performing under the name Lady A for more than two decades, told Rolling Stone she was blindsided when she heard the news. “This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done…. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time…. It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it.”
Only three weeks ago, it seemed like the two parties had amicably come to a decision that both would continue to use the name. On June 15, the group posted a smiling screen shot on its Instagram of a Zoom meeting with White and two of her colleagues, writing “Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had. We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come.” White also posted the photo on her Instagram account.
When reached by Billboard June 15, the solo artist Lady A said via email, "We had [a] meeting today and we’re looking forward to a beneficial outcome for both parties. We’re making progress.”
However, communication broke down as talks, which included the band and artist possibly writing and recording a song together and the group promoting White’s career, fell apart.
In the suit, the trio says the group has used Lady Antebellum and Lady A interchangeably as early as 2006-2007, and includes a page from its website 2008 that cites the band by the nickname, as well as several other references to the band as Lady A through the years.
In May 2010, according to the suit and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filings reviewed by Billboard, the band applied to register Lady A for entertainment purposes, including live musical performances and streaming musical programming. After there was no opposition filed by any person or entity, the application was registered on July 26, 2011. Further applications to register the name for musical recordings and clothing were also granted after there was no opposition.
“Prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark as a source indicator for Plaintiffs’ recorded, downloadable, and streaming music and videos, Plaintiffs’ live musical performances, or Plaintiffs’ sale of souvenir merchandise,” the suit states.