#The band Lady A files lawsuit against blues singer Anita ‘Lady A’ White

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Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood of Lady A
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The band Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, has filed a lawsuit against blues singer Anita White, who also goes by the name Lady A.

According to the suit filed in a Nashville, Tennessee, court Wednesday, the case stems from White’s “attempt to enforce purported trademarks rights in a mark that Plaintiffs have held for more than a decade,” according to Billboard.

The suit also claims that the solo singer’s counsel “delivered a draft settlement agreement that included an exorbitant monetary demand” after conversations with the band and their respective attorneys. The exact amount is not mentioned in the suit, but a statement from the band says it’s $10 million.

“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 — consisting of members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and David Haywood — 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.”

In June, the band announced it was dropping the name “Antebellum” after reflecting on the Black Lives Matter movement.

“We are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery,” they wrote in their announcement on Twitter.

The next day, White slammed the band for the name change, saying she was blindsided by the move.

“This is too much now. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before,” she told Rolling Stone.

White, who is based in Seattle, has been using the name Lady A for over 20 years and considers it to be her brand.

On June 15, the band posted a picture of a Zoom meeting they had with White and her colleagues on social media, appearing to have come to a conclusion.

“Transparent, honest and authentic conversations were had,” the band wrote. “We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground.”

In the suit, the band claims they have been using Lady Antebellum and Lady A interchangeably as early as 2006. The band applied to trademark Lady A for entertainment purposes, and the application was filed July 26, 2011.

The suit also acknowledges that White has been using Lady A since as early as 2010, but adds that “based on information and belief,” White has never trademarked the name.

The band asks for no money in the suit, only for the Nashville court to declare that the trio is lawfully using the trademarked name and that its continued use does not infringe on White’s rights under the law. It also states that the trio and artist continue to share the Lady A name.