Guns N' Roses sues Texas firearms and flower shop for allegedly using band name
Guns N' Roses is not in need of a little patience right now. The legendary hard rock American band filed a lawsuit against a gun store in Texas for using its name.
In its complaint, Guns N' Roses alleges that Texas Guns and Roses is "confusing consumers into believing that it was connected or associated with, or licensed by, GNR," People reported.
The band also alleges that the gun shop, operated by Jersey Village Florist, sells roses alongside firearms in a bid to justify the "wholesale appropriation" of the Guns N' Roses trademark.
Texas Guns and Roses filed for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trade Office in 2014, and registered in 2016.
Guns N' Roses learned about it in 2019 and sent a cease and desist letter the following year.
Despite the cease and desist letter, the shop continued to "intentionally trade on GNR's goodwill, prestige and fame without GNR's approval, license or consent," according to the band.
"This is particularly damaging to GNR given the nature of defendant's business," Guns N' Roses says in its complaint, as quoted by People. "GNR, quite reasonably, does not want to be associated with defendant, a firearms and weapons retailer."
Guns N' Roses also notes that the gun shop "espouses political views related to the regulation and control of firearms and weapons on the website that may be polarizing to many U.S. consumers."
It wants the shop to change its name and pay damages.
David Clark, the lawyer representing Texas Guns and Roses, meanwhile said there's "never been any confusion" between the band and the shop, and that "nobody" thinks there's some affiliation.
"They have no evidence of confusion," Clark told City News Service. "This is an attempt to run up costs and burn us out."
"We will be fighting back," he added.
Guns N' Roses—comprising Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, and Melissa Reese—was founded in 1985 in Los Angeles.
The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling acts in history.
It was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.