Happy this was worked out and we wish the band the best of luck.” When asked about the legal resolution between ViceVersa and Vice Media, a Vice Media spokesman told OC Weekly, “Without getting into legal jargon, we’re glad we got an agreement that allows ViceVersa to keep their name. On May 23rd, Vice Media’s lawyer submitted a withdrawal of opposition without prejudice to the United States Trademark and Patent Office, officially ending the legal dispute. According to Morales after three or four days of the band’s story circulating in the press, Vice Media’s lawyer offered a 30-day extension to revisit their conversation about reaching a mutual agreement over ViceVersa’s trademark application. Vice Media’s cease-and-desist letter initially demanded the band relinquish the ViceVersa name by April 18th. #youmadbro? looks like doesnt wanna let us read his #tweets? thats weird. Then, Vice Media founder and CEO, Shane Smith, blocked ViceVersa on Twitter. “I don’t know why he would block us,” Morales says that he thinks other people tweeting Vice and Smith with critiques over their cease-and-desist letter to ViceVersa may have led to the block. “It’s not like we were trying to be assholes…we were just trying to protect our turf.” KROQ’s own DJ and radio show host, Kat Corbett, even had something to say about the matter on Twitter. But for the band, surrendering their name was not an option either. “We’re pretty much standing up for anybody who’s independent,” Morales told OC Weekly back in April.Īfter their story started making headlines, ViceVersa received support from fans who created memes trolling Vice. Finkle, ViceVersa’s lawyer, told the working class band that continuing with the trademark dispute would be very costly.
“The only option we have is to try to bring attention to it.” said Morales when remembering how the band felt two months ago when confronted with the clash. ViceVersa then decided to share their story to several media outlets such as NBC Los Angeles, Huffington Post, Pitchfork and OC Weekly.
#VICEVERSA BAND TRIAL#
Morales’ and Finkle received a response in March via a letter of opposition to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board challenging ViceVersa’s trademark application. Having never faced such a serious legal issue, the band sought help from their lawyer, Harry Finkle, who told Vice Media that the band was willing to narrow the scope of Morales’s trademark application. A month later a cease-and-desist letter from Vice Media arrived in the mail. Last November, Morales received provisional approval for his application to trademark “ViceVersa” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “Let’s re-wind this tornado.” Morales jokes as he recalls how the conflict all started.
Now, ViceVersa are celebrating Vice Media’s decision to pull back their initial challenge of their trademark application. Goliath legal story was published locally and nationally, the band received widespread support from people criticizing Vice for its legal actions. The media behemoth, Vice, claimed that ViceVersa’s name was “unauthorized use of Vice Media’s intellectual property,” and is “likely to confuse consumers.” After the David vs. At the time, singer, Zeke Zeldon (whose legal name is Christopher Morales), drummer, Ariel Fredrickson, and bassist Sarah Corza seemed concerned about the future of their band after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Vice Media for a trademark dispute over their name. Back in April, OC Weekly spoke to ViceVersa in their Whittier studio.
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