BURTON CUMMINGS And RANDY BACHMAN Settle Lawsuit With Fellow Members Of THE GUESS WHO, Acquire Trademark To Band Name

Rolling Stone is reporting that The Guess Who‘s founding singer, Burton Cummings, and guitarist Randy Bachman have settled their lawsuit with fellow original members Jim Kale and Garry Peterson and acquired the trademark to their former band’s name, ending a bitter dispute over the legacy of one of Canada’s most famed classic rock acts.

The settlement comes nearly a year after Cummings and Bachman first sued Kale, Peterson, and the band — which they called a “cover band” — over false advertising claims. Cummings and Bachman alleged in their lawsuit last October that the band had used recordings that Bachman and Cummings wrote and performed to “give the false impression that Plaintiffs are performing as part of the cover band.”

“It’s been a very stressful period, but I’m relieved that it’s behind us and confident that I can come back to the states with my band and play all my songs,” Cummings tells Rolling Stone. “There’s been a fake band out there for a long time using the real records to promote their shows, and it handcuffed me in many ways. We’re trying to preserve the history and the legacy of the Guess Who for our fans all over the place have who have followed the real band and the real songs.”

Bachman and Cummings declined to give details about the settlement beyond confirming that they acquired the trademark through the settlement. Cummings says he, Bachman, and Peterson spent “many hours” in mediation in Los Angeles to reach the agreement.

“It was an impossible task, and suddenly the impossible became possible,” Bachman tells Rolling Stone. “We fulfilled our dream of writing hit songs and performing them, then to have it kind of fall apart. To be able to come back together as partners and shut down the bad reputation being formed by the false advertising and fraudulent band is really good, and I look forward to what’s ahead.”

Read the full report at RollingStone.com.