Blabbermouth is reporting Singer Geoff Tate — who was fired from the Seattle progressive rock band QUEENSRŸCHE in 2012 after fronting it for three decades — has revealed to AL.com that he currently is involved “in settlement talks” with his former bandmates over the rights to the group’s name.
Tate and his wife, Susan, QUEENSRŸCHE’s former manager, filed a lawsuit in June 2012 asking the judge to award them the rights to the band’s name in exchange for Tate paying Eddie Jackson (bass), Michael Wilton (guitar) and Scott Rockenfield (drums) the fair market value for their interests in the QUEENSRŸCHE companies. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson filed a countersuit against the Tates in which they accused Geoff of creative obstruction and violent behavior, and Susan Tate of questionable business practices.
While ruling against Tate, the presiding judge determined that there was no legal hurdle in Tate also using the name with an all-new lineup of musicians. “I don’t see any reason that Mr. Tate can’t have the benefit, if he gets other members, of whatever name he uses of using the brand,” Superior Court Judge Carol A. Schapira said during the July 13, 2012 court hearing. “I think [doing that would be] inherently confusing, although I’m sure the market can get these things sorted out,” she added.
Asked by AL.com what his ultimate goal of the court proceedings is — to get the original lineup of QUEENSRŸCHE back together or to win the name and continue with this band, Geoff said: “Right now, we have two QUEENSRŸCHEs, which is way too confusing to fans. We have to give someone the name and someone has to pay the other person off. We’re in settlement talks now, and I hope that we can come to a conclusion in the next couple of weeks.”