Formed in 1973, Van Halen was known as a band that brought hard rock to the forefront in the music scene. Besides, they became prominent with Eddie Van Halen’s guitar-playing talents and their energetic live performances. Between the years 1974 and 1985, the band consisted of Eddie, his brother Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony. With their contributions, Van Halen became one of the most successful rock music acts by the early 1980s.
Back in 1983, Alex got divorced from Valeri Kendall following a marriage that lasted only two months. The same year, he married Kelly Carter who gave birth to their son Aric Van Halen on October 6, 1989. After 13 years of marriage with ups and downs, Alex and Kelly got divorced in August 1996. In 2013, after all those years, Van Halen filed a lawsuit to sue Alex’s ex-wife. Let’s learn more about the reason behind this lawsuit.
Van Halen Sued Kelly Van Halen Over Using Her Famous Surname In Trade
When Van Halen was formed in 1973, it was named after the Van Halen brothers Eddie and Alex. Thus, the surname Van Halen became their trademark. So, when Kelly Carter continued to use this surname even after getting divorced from Alex, it became a problem for the band.
In 2013, VH decided to file a lawsuit to sue Carter for using the surname in trade. Kelly named her interior design and construction company after herself. So, according to ELVH Inc., the intellectual property holding company of Van Halen, this was a trademark infringement.
In the lawsuit, VH accused Kelly of filing two trademark applications on the title ‘Kelly Van Halen’ for her products such as chairs, blankets, bathing suits, interior design services, and more. Besides, they stated that Kelly uses VH’s name for commercial purposes, to commit unfair competition for Van Halen, and dilute and pass off the band.
After years of conflict, in 2015, the dispute between Van Halen and Kelly Carter has been settled as both parties informed a judge that the lawsuit should be dismissed. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, ELVH’s attorney said the case has been resolved while Carter’s attorney stated she now can use her full name for her business while staying away from music-related services.
