TINA TURNER ESTATE BATTLES TRIBUTE BAND IN TRADEMARK DISPUTE. 

“A Tina Turn tribute band has run into some hot water.

The band filed a trademark application for SIMPLY TINA, but representatives of the Tina Turner estate are not fans. Instead, the estate has filed a trademark opposition to prevent the trademark from registering.

On April 19, 2024, the tribute band Simply Tina filed a trademark application for its band name. With multiple musical acts sharing this name, this attempt to trademark a brand would typically raise questions of who used the name first (i.e., priority). However, the clear parallels between the tribute band and Tina Turner have instead resulted in pushback from the Turner estate itself.

In its notice of opposition – filed on June 2, 2025 – the estate claims that registration of “Simply Tina” would interfere with its own trademark rights. The opposition states that the “sight, sound, meaning, and commercial impression” of the group’s name and performance is similar to trademarks owned by the estate. Thus, they believe a likelihood of confusion exists.

While the idea that the public may confuse a tribute band with a long-dead musician might seem far-fetched, the legal reasoning is sound.

The question here is not whether consumers might confuse a Tina Turner tribute band with Turner herself. Turner’s death was widely publicized, so confusing the group with its honored namesake is extremely unlikely. The problem here arises due to the potential that consumers might confuse the source of the trademark.

TT Entertainment AG – owned by Turner’s husband Erwin Bach –  controls the name and likeness rights of Tina Turner. They own the trademark for “Tina Turner” and also claim common law trademark rights. The estate says that consumers may believe that Simply Tina has some connection to the estate itself – when in fact, no such connection exists.

Additionally, the tribute band filed its application in Trademark Class 41 – which covers live performances for a musical band. Not only were these the same services provided by Turner during her lifetime, but TT Entertainment AG has a current license agreement with a musical production known as Tina – The Tina Turner Musical. 

These facts create issues for the tribute band.”

Información tomada de Mandour & Associates :https://www.mandourlaw.com/tina-turner-estate-tribute-band-trademark/

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