Ronald Isley Sued By Brother, Rudolph, Over Isley Brothers Trademark

Nobody wins when the family feuds and The Isley Brothers are no exception.

Rudolph Isley, one of the group’s founding members, is suing his younger brother and former bandmate, Ronald Isley, over a trademark involving their family group.

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According to Rolling Stone, the lawsuit was filed on Monday (March 20) and is seeking a judicial confirmation that The Isley Brothers trademark is “jointly owned” by the siblings. Rudolph also claimed he’s “unaware of the degree to which Ronald exploited the Mark” and wants the judge to order Ronald to “account for and pay” a 50 percent share that Rudolph claimed he’s owed for any proceeds derived from said trademark.

The Isley Brothers was co-founded by Rudolph, Ronald, and their late brother, O’Kelly in 1954. With the former stating the band operated as a “common-law partnership,” sharing expenses, profits, and control of the band’s business. Even as it expanded, the lawsuit stipulates, they “remained an equal partnership under the sole ownership, direction and control of its founding members.”

Following O’Kelly’s death in 1986, Rudolph alleged he and Ronald were left with the aforementioned split ownership of the band and its subsequent trademark. Rudolph left the group in the late ’80s to retire and become a minister. He last performed with his brothers at the 2004 BET Awards.

Despite the retirement, Rudolph claimed he “remained active in promoting and managing the Group’s properties,” including a publishing deal in 2018 and a 2022 licensing deal for their 1959 hit, “Shout,” that was used in a Super Bowl commercial.

The lawsuit mentioned neither party has “the authority to enter into deals… without the consent of the other.” Yet, allegedly on Nov. 2, 2021, Ronald filed an application for exclusive rights to The Isley Brothers trademark related to “visual recordings and audiovisual recordings featuring music and animation.” The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the application on Aug. 16, 2022.

The “Contagious” singer‘s attorney, Navarro Gray, submitted a letter to Rudolph’s legal team, in which he insisted Ronald “did not set up a separate entity to receive Isley Brothers related revenue [but rather] his own corporate entity to do business solely related to his own musical/entertainment career.” It also argues that Ronald has more claim to the trademark since he was “actually and actively using the mark in commerce during or near the time of registration,” later adding, “Our research shows that Rudolph Isley has not used the mark or been part of The Isley Brothers brand since 1986 and not performed with The Isley Brothers since the death of their brother O’Kelly [sic] Isley.”

Ernie Isley, the other current member of the group, was not named in the lawsuit.

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