Isley Brothers Settle Long Court Battle Over Legal Rights to Band Name

The legal war over the Isley Brothers name is finally over.

In court filings obtained and first reported by Billboard , attorneys for Ronald Isley and the estate of Rudolph Isley jointly asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit they’ve fought since 2023 over the trademark rights to “The Isley Brothers,” the name their iconic soul group used across decades of chart-topping hits.

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Baker, Australian Music Historian and Former Billboard Correspondent, Dies at 74 Months before Rudolph’s 2023 death , he sued Ronald in federal court , claiming his brother was improperly trying to monopolize the legal rights to a name they were supposed to be splitting equally.

Ronald later fired back that his brother had left the band and was not entitled to share the name.

After a judge allowed the case to move ahead , the lawsuit has largely been on ice for nearly three years as the two sides negotiated a potential settlement.

Such a deal was tentatively struck in February, but was not formalized in court until Wednesday.

The specific terms of the agreement — including who will own what rights and whether any money changed hands — was not included in court filings.

Neither side immediately returned requests for comment on the resolution of the case.

The Isley Brothers are hardly the first musicians to battle in court over a band name.

Such rights hold massive value for ongoing touring and merchandise.

But evolving group rosters and often-shoddy paperwork mean such rights are prone to thorny disputes over who owns what.

Journey , Stone Temple Pilots , Jefferson Starship , the Rascals , the Ebonys, the Commodores and the Platters have all ended up in such litigation over the years.