The Softones’ Band Name Ownership Dispute Heads to Jury Trial

Two former members of Baltimore-based soul group The Softones must present their trademark infringement claims to a jury to determine who owns the band’s naming rights, a federal district court in Maryland held.

Steven Jackson and Lorenzo Samuels aren’t entitled to summary judgment because several outstanding factual questions must first be resolved by a jury, Judge Adam B. Abelson of the US District Court for the District of Maryland said in a Feb. 13 opinion, denying their cross-motions.

Jackson, the sole surviving member from the band’s founding in the 1960’s, argues he never left the group and continued performing ...