The guitarist from the ‘70s band Player is suing country star Keith Urban, claiming Urban stole the band’s name for a guitar lesson kit he is selling online.
According to The New York Post’s Page Six, Peter Beckett filed a suit in Los Angeles, in the US District Court, against the country music star. The guitarist behind Player’s hit “Baby Come Back,” is reportedly fuming over the “Keith Urban 50-piece Deluxe PLAYER Guitar Package” that was for sale on the Home Shopping Network for $399.
The kit has since sold out, but it includes items like the “Keith Urban Deluxe Player guitar” and a DVD titled “Player by Keith Urban 30 Songs in 30 Days: The Complete Guitar Experience 30-disc DVD lesson set.” The kit boasts that buyers will learn 30 songs in one month, taught by Urban himself.
The kit has been on sale since at least February, according to reviews posted on the Home Shopping Network’s website.
According to Patch.com, a trial date has been set for December in Los Angeles to review the alleged trademark violation.
“Defendants’ use of the trade name and trademark Player ... are likely to deceive and will continue to deceive the consuming public,” the suit claims, according to Patch.com. “Defendants knew, recklessly disregarded, or reasonably should have known that such packaging, advertising, marketing, and promotion was untrue and/or misleading.”
The suit goes so far as to say that if the kit continues to be marketed with the word Player, “one day consumers may come to believe that ‘Baby Come Back’ was written and performed [Urban and not the band Player].”
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