The Controversy: For 14 years, Hilary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood found success as the country music group Lady Antebellum, despite the association of the “antebellum” name with the pre-Civil War South. During the recent social awakening to racism in America, the group announced it would change its name to Lady A. In attempting to avoid one racial controversy, however, the name change created another, because Lady A was already being used as a stage name by the Black blues singer and activist, Anita White, for more than twenty years. After mutual attempts to resolve the conflict failed, the band filed suit seeking a declaratory judgment that their use of the name Lady A does not infringe any rights held by the singer.
Commentary: Intellectual property scholar and Santa Clara Law Professor Tyler Ochoa will explain the factual background and legal issues and analyze how trademark law and the right of publicity apply to the pending lawsuit.
Concert: A special appearance by the blues singer Lady A, Anita White, who will entertain guests with a live-streamed performance.
Join us for an entertaining evening that combines legal analysis and music! Registration is limited.
Lady “A” has been a Pacific Northwest Blues favorite for many years and is known as “The Hardest Workin Woman in Blues, Soul Funk & Gospel The Lady’s show has been compared to the likes of Tina Turner with an “Oprah” feel ~ she draws the audience in with her sultry-husky voice and contemporary blues-funk style. This is not your ordinary Blues singer. Lady A pours Soul, Gospel and a touch of Funk, along with storytelling, in hopes of Inspiring her audience as well as supplying them with great music. Newly Nominated as “Blues Performer of the Year 2020” by the Washington Blues Society, she is always striving to meet the needs of her audience through performance and lyrics by making their experience memorable. Her latest CD “Lady A Live in New Orleans” released in July of this year and is a compilation of her latest 4 CD’s with one new tune “Do You Wanna Ride?” Learn more about Lady A and purchase merchandise on her website |
Professor Tyler Ochoa is a recognized expert in copyright law, trademark law, and rights of publicity. He joined the Santa Clara University School of Law faculty in 2003, and he served as Academic Director of the High Technology Law Institute for the 2005-2006 academic year. Prior to joining Santa Clara Law, Professor Ochoa served as a professor and co-director of the Center for Intellectual Property Law at Whittier Law School. He has also served as a clerk for the Honorable Cecil F. Poole of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and as an associate with the law firm of Brown & Bain in Palo Alto, California, where he specialized in copyright and trade secret litigation involving computer software. He is also a two-time “Jeopardy!” champion and a champion on “Win Ben Stein’s Money”. |
Sponsored by the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara Law.