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Philly Wedding Band Jellyroll Dismisses Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Country Star Jelly Roll

Melissa Watt and Raika Casey

Summary

  • Philadelphia-area wedding band Jellyroll filed suit against the country artist Jelly Roll, alleging trademark infringement, mark dilution, unfair competition, injury to business reputation, and related common law claims.
  • While Jelly Roll's trademark application remains pending, Jellyroll voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice just three months after its filing.
Philly Wedding Band Jellyroll Dismisses Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Country Star Jelly Roll
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In a dispute that sounds more like a showdown between bakeries than musical groups, long-standing wedding band Jellyroll dismissed its recently filed suit against country music star Jelly Roll.

Jellyroll, a Philadelphia-area wedding band, claims to have been using the name since 1980. In 2010, Jellyroll filed for registration of the mark “Jellyroll” with the US Patent and Trademark Office. That registration was later granted and then renewed in 2019. Jellyroll admitted that the band initially performed only in the greater Philadelphia area during the 1980s. However, the band claims that it has expanded since that time to numerous other states, including having performed at the White House.

In the last few years, Jelly Roll, a.k.a. Jason Bradley DeFord, topped the country music charts and took home several music awards, even being nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist of the Year. Jelly Roll reached number four on Billboard's listing of the most popular 100 artists each week in June 2023. To date, Jelly Roll has landed nine songs on Billboard's Hot 100 list.

Earlier this year, Jelly Roll filed a trademark application for the mark “Jelly Roll.” A month later, Jellyroll filed suit alleging trademark infringement, mark dilution, unfair competition, injury to business reputation, and related common law claims. Jellyroll cited being squeezed out of the top 18–20 references in Google search returns by the country star and asked the court to bar Jelly Roll from using the mark “Jellyroll” or any similar derivation in any kind of live performance or musical entertainment.

While Jelly Roll's trademark application remains pending, Jellyroll voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice just three months after its filing. The band released a statement explaining that the dispute had been resolved amicably via a settlement but did not provide details. So it seems Jelly Roll and Jellyroll have found a way to jam together.

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