Cowboys Cheerleaders Take My Chemical Romance to Court Over Branding

WHO:

SB Nation - The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders allege that My Chemical Romance infringed on their brand.

SB Nation - Pro Silver Star manages the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

SB Nation - The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders organized as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA), described as the first NFL cheerleading group to unionize; the Cowboys recognized the union.

Billboard - The article describes the plaintiffs as NFL cheerleaders and says legal experts have doubts about their case.

WHAT:

SB Nation - The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders filed a lawsuit over costumes and designs used in My Chemical Romance’s “Long Live: The Black Parade” tour.

SB Nation - The filing says the costumes were so similar to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ uniforms that an ordinary person could—and did—mistake the performers for the real cheerleaders.

SB Nation - The performers used fake guns in a simulated firefight, during which several were “shot.”

SB Nation - The cheerleaders seek a temporary restraining order and an injunction concerning the costumes; SB Nation says they are not seeking money.

SB Nation - Pro Silver Star said it had no issue with My Chemical Romance and supported the band’s freedom of expression. The filing states: “Silver Star asks only that those performers not wear the DCC Uniform while doing it. The universe of alternative costume designs is effectively unlimited.”

SB Nation - The union aims to pursue equal pay, rights, and protection of the group’s brand.

SB Nation - The unionization push was partly prompted by the group’s success on Netflix’s *America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders*; SB Nation says some members received large pay increases while others did not.

Billboard - The article examines how the cheerleaders are suing, what may come next, and legal experts’ doubts about the case.

WHERE:

SB Nation - The band used the cheerleader-styled performers in a concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

WHY:

SB Nation - The cheerleaders say they are seeking to protect their brand from infringement and prevent audiences from misidentifying performers as Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

HOW:

SB Nation - The alleged infringement involved costumes and designs resembling the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ uniforms in the band’s stage show.

SB Nation - The lawsuit seeks court orders restricting use of the costumes rather than asking the band to change the show’s artistry.

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have sued My Chemical Romance, alleging costumes in the band’s “Long Live: The Black Parade” tour infringed on their brand and could make audiences mistake performers for the real cheerleaders. The lawsuit seeks court orders restricting use of the look-alike costumes, including a temporary restraining order and an injunction, but does not seek money; the band used the performers in a simulated firefight at the Hollywood Bowl. The cheerleaders’ union, recognized by the Cowboys, says it aims to protect the group’s brand and advance members’ pay and rights, while legal experts have expressed doubts about the case.