Music
Metallica threaten Canadian tribute band with lawsuit
by Jeremy Mersereau
January 11, 2016
Ontario's Sandman was issued a cease and desist for using Metallica's logo.
Uh oh, someone let Lars off the leash again. “Lemme at ’em! Lemme at ’em! I’ll sue ’em and ruin ’em!” In this home video of Lars, filmed by a group of mystery-solving teenage fans, the ghost represents trademark infringement. Good thing Kirk Hammett got Lars out of there just in time.
Sandman, a.k.a. “Canada’s Tribute To Metallica” (we didn’t know they demanded sacrificial tributes from countries of the world, but live and learn), arrived at their London, Ontario gig Saturday night, only to be served with a 41-page cease-and-desist letter, courtesy of Metallica themselves. For some reason, Metallica took issue with Sandman using one of their “official, stylized logos” to promote live appearances, and their legal response was what those fluent in legalese refer to as a “Seek and Destroy” strategy.
This isn’t the first time Ulrich and co, intent on justice for all, have gone after Canadian Metallica fans for trademark breaches. Back in 2003, Metallica and their lawyers went after a small-time Edmonton punk band who decided the best way to get their name out there was to cut out the middleman and just name themselves Metallica. Well, maybe that’s one time the swift legal response was justified. After all, as their lawyers (Damages Inc?) noted at the time, “Your use of Metallica is particularly astonishing to the band, given that you have admitted in at least one interview that ‘you know you are not allowed to use the name.”
“You see what I’m dealing with!?!” – Scrappy Lars Ulrich.
