Scarlett Johansson’s band faces trademark threat over name

A music duo has sent a legal complaint to Scarlett Johansson’s new band The Singles,claiming it owns the trademark rights to the name.

Vince Frederick and Nicky Veltman, a US-based band, also use the name The Singles and have reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter that alleges trademark infringement to the actress’s group’s representatives.

Film star Johansson announced last week that she had formed the group alongside Este Haim from rock band Haim, and singers and musicians Kendra Morris, Holly Miranda and Julia Haltigan.

The band’s first song, called Candy, is available online and is set to be released in hard copy by the Federal Prism record label.

But Frederick’s band was allegedly formed in 1999.

Frederick wrote in a statement: “I woke up one morning and learned from the news that our band name was literally just taken by someone else as their own.

“It’s hard to believe that any musician would do something like that to another band. The Singles has been my life for the past 16 years. We have worked so incredibly hard to make it a success.

“Just a simple search on Google would have revealed that The Singles was already a band name being used,” he said.

Neither Johansson nor Federal Prism has yet to respond publicly to the band’s complaint.