Keith Urban PLAYER Trademark Case Dismissed

Beckett v. Urban et al., No. 15-cv-1407 (C.D. Cal. dated July 6, 2015).

A trademark infringment and dilution claim against country music star Keith Urban, concerning the mark PLAYER, was dismissed on the pleadings.  The Court found that plaintiff’s mark of “PLAYER” and Defendant s’ mark “Player by Keith Urban” are not sufficiently similar.  Defendants use of the phras e “by Keith Urban” clearly denotes that Keith Urban is the good’s source, dispelling any potenti al confusion with Plaintiff’s band “PLAYER.”  Further, the Court found that Plaintiff’s and Defendants’ goods and servicees are not closely re lated. Plaintiff’s trademark is for audio and video recordings featuring music and artistic performances by a rock band and for entertainment services in the nature of live audio performances by a rock band.  Defendants are marketing a guitar and guitar lesson kit complete with audio a nd video recordings that teaches a consumer to use and play guitar. As to the dilution claim, Plaintiff failed to allege that his mark is sufficiently famous.