Drummer Alex Van Halen ex-wife to use band name on pillows, blankets and ponchos

A court battle dispute between the rock band Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen’s ex-wife Kelly has been settled out of court. The two sides clashed over Kelly Van Halen’s use of her married surname for her construction and interior design business. The Hollywood Reporter states that Kelly set up trademarks to use the name for a range of products including armoires, pillows, blankets, ponchos, construction management, installation of solar-thermal installations, and interior design services.

The band, which features Eddie and Alex Van Halen among its ranks, took exception to this and filed legal action against the drummer’s former partner. They stated in court that the trademark was “confusingly similar to their own and that she was diluting Van Halen, passing off Van Halen and committing unfair competition for Van Halen.” Now both parties have settled the dispute out of court. Kelly has agreed not to put her name to anything that could be considered a musical product while a representative for the band described the settlement as “amicable”.

In total the two sides spent three years fighting the case at the US Trademark Office and a further 15 months in court.