Vice, a global media company valued at $2.5 billion, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to LA-based indie band ViceVersa, insisting that the unsigned trio change their name. According to the letter obtained by The Huffington Post, Vice asserts that the band is “infringing on the exclusive rights held by Vice Media in the VICE® Mark” and is “likely to confuse consumers as to the source of services offered under [ViceVersa’s] mark, and wrongly implies that Vice Media sponsors, endorses or is otherwise affiliated with [ViceVersa].” The letter instructs the band to immediately change their name, take down its website, cease all merchandise sales and delete all social media accounts. Vice also requests documentation of revenue earned since it formed in 2012.
Seriously?
The band, who have played over 150 shows, released two EPs and have a tour in the works, claim that “no one in our band or our current fan base has ever thought we were in anyway sponsored or affiliated with Vice Media as their lawyers have told us.” To that point, they have set up a GoFundMed and are appealing to fans to help them fight Vice’s clearly ridiculous litigiousness. Vice Media, you should be ashamed of yourselves for being such major douchebags.