Bachman brothers battle over BTO name
Taking care of business
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 4:45 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Randy Bachman is being sued by his brother Robin over the BTO name. (Mark Maryanovich) Canadian rocker Randy Bachman is in a court fight with his younger brother Robin over the rights to the name of their iconic 1970s group Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Robin Bachman and Blair Thornton, both former BTO members, have launched a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.
The suit claims Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, the other member of the rock quartet, signed away their rights to the names Bachman-Turner Overdrive, BTO and any similar brands when Randy left BTO in 1977 to go solo.
Thornton and Robin Bachman claim Randy Bachman's company trademarked the name Bachman-Turner and Bachman-Turner Union in Canada and the United States earlier this year.
The pair claim those names could be confused with the BTO identity.
Their statement of claim asks for an injunction, saying Randy Bachman and Turner are confusing the public and businesses into believing their other companies are connected with the business of Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive's hits, such as Taking Care of Business and Hey You, climbed the charts in the 1970s. Randy Bachman, 66, is currently host of the CBC Radio show Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap.
