IPGuy

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗢.

It took almost 50 years.

After decades in which others controlled THE GUESS WHO name, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings settled their legal battle in 2024 and obtained control of the trademark.

Now they are performing again as 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼, with their 2026 “Takin’ It Back Tour.”

There is a great business lesson buried inside this rock-and-roll story.

You may create the product. You may build the reputation. Customers may associate the name with you. But none of those things eliminates the need to clearly establish and protect ownership of the intellectual property.

Every business owner should be able to answer three questions: Who owns our brands? Do we have documents proving it? What happens to those rights if an owner, or partner leaves?

The Guess Who created unforgettable music.

But their experience offers an equally unforgettable IP lesson:

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝘁.

I’ve prepared a Guide and Checklist to help business owners identify their intellectual property. Click below to download a free copy:

👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 $𝟮𝟬 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁.

Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings helped make The Guess Who famous. But decades after leaving the band, they found themselves watching another group perform under the name.

In 2023, they sued. Their complaint sought more than $𝟮𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 and alleged that promotional materials used their photographs, recordings, and the band’s history to create a misleading impression that they were associated with the touring group.

The dispute eventually settled, and Bachman and Cummings regained control of THE GUESS WHO trademark.

But consider what happened first: decades of uncertainty followed by expensive litigation.

Many IP disputes begin with a relatively inexpensive mistake made years earlier. Nobody documented ownership. Nobody considered what would happen when people left.

Protecting intellectual property usually costs far less than fighting over it later.

I’ve prepared a Guide and Checklist to help business owners identify their intellectual property. Click below to download a free copy:

👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗨𝗽.

Who gets the name?

The members of The Guess Who apparently never clearly established who would own the band’s name if members left or the group broke up. That became an enormous problem after the band disbanded in 1975.

Former bassist Jim Kale eventually sought federal trademark registration for THE GUESS WHO. Decades later, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, the men behind many of the songs and the sound most fans associated with the band, went to court fighting over the name.

Business owners make the same mistake.

Two people start a company. Everyone is excited. Nobody wants to discuss what happens if they split up. Then one partner leaves and suddenly both sides believe they own the company name, logo, website, customer lists, or other intellectual property.

The best time to negotiate a business divorce is when everyone still likes each other.

Put IP ownership in writing when you start the business.

I’ve prepared a Guide and Checklist to help business owners identify their intellectual property. Click below to download a free copy:

👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

𝗕𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗦𝗼 𝗛𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀.

Burton Cummings found himself in an unusual position. Another version of The Guess Who was touring under the famous name, and he didn’t control the trademark.

But Cummings controlled something else they needed: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳.

In 2024, Cummings terminated performing-rights arrangements covering many of The Guess Who’s biggest hits. That reportedly meant sacrificing royalty income from his own songs, but it also made it much harder and legally riskier for the competing group and venues to perform classics such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes.”

That is a fascinating IP strategy.

Intellectual property rarely exists in isolation. A business may have patents protecting its inventions, trademarks protecting its brands, copyrights protecting its creative works, and trade secrets safeguarding its confidential know-how.

Sometimes the IP you think is most important isn’t the one that gives you the most leverage.

I’ve prepared a Guide and Checklist to help business owners identify their intellectual property. Click below to download a free copy:

👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘀. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲.

Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings helped create the music that made The Guess Who famous. “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” and “No Time.” Cummings was the unmistakable voice, and Bachman was the guitarist and co-writer behind many of the hits.

But for decades, they didn’t control the name 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗢.

After the band broke up, former bassist Jim Kale began performing under the name and later sought federal trademark registration. Bachman and Cummings continued performing together as “Bachman-Cummings,” while others toured under the name millions of fans recognized.

Think about that from a business perspective. You spend years building a name, reputation, customer loyalty, and goodwill, only to find that someone else controls the brand.

That is why trademark ownership should never be an afterthought. Decide who owns the name, document it in writing, and register it.

Because creating the brand and 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 are two very different things.

I’ve prepared a Guide and Checklist to help business owners identify their intellectual property. Click below to download a free copy:

👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, two members of the rock band The Guess Who, helped create the music that made the band famous, including “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” and “No Time.” The band broke up in 1975, but bassist Jim Kale and others continued performing under the name. Bachman and Cummings sued to reclaim the name and sought $20 million in damages.

The lawsuit settled after Cummings terminated the performing-rights arrangements for their biggest hits. A fascinating strategy.

In this article, I explore the case's background, the strategy that returned the name, and the lessons for business owners.

Click here to read the article
👉 https://www.ipguy.com/how-the-guess-who-lost-their-name/

𝗜’𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝟰𝟬 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗡’𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗭𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗢𝗪𝗡.

Sometimes it’s an invention.

Sometimes it’s a trademark.

Sometimes it’s confidential information that should be protected as a trade secret.

And sometimes it’s something the business owner never imagined could be intellectual property.

That is what makes the recent trademark activity involving Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey, Lionel Richie, and the Backstreet Boys particularly interesting.

They aren’t simply protecting names and logos. They are identifying distinctive elements of their voices, appearances, and performances that have commercial value and asking: 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼?

That’s a question more business owners should ask.

Your company may have valuable intellectual property hiding in plain sight. The first step is to recognize it. The second is to determine whether and how it can be protected.

In my latest article, I explain what these celebrities are doing and the lesson I believe business owners should take from it.

Click here to read the article:
👉 https://www.ipguy.com/taylor-swift-is-trying-to-trademark-herself/

𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗢. 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦?

Most businesses think about trademarks in a predictable way: protect the company name, the logo, and maybe an important product name.

Taylor Swift and Matthew McConaughey are thinking much more broadly.

They are seeking trademark protection for elements of their 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 because those elements have become recognizable indicators of their identity.

That raises an interesting question for your business.

Do customers recognize a specific sound? A phrase? The appearance of a product? A spokesperson? A recurring introduction in your videos?

If customers immediately associate something with your company, it may be an intellectual property asset worth evaluating.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁.

Read my latest article on what Taylor Swift, Matthew McConaughey, and others are doing and why business owners should pay attention.

Click here to read the article:
👉 https://www.ipguy.com/taylor-swift-is-trying-to-trademark-herself/

𝗔𝗜 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨

Your face.
Your voice.
Your words.

And it can make the fake version look surprisingly realistic.

That’s why Taylor Swift recently filed trademark applications for recordings of her voice and an image of herself performing.

She isn’t alone. Matthew McConaughey has registered recordings of his voice. Lionel Richie and the Backstreet Boys have also filed applications to protect distinctive recordings.

They’re adding another layer of legal protection around what makes them recognizable.

Business owners should pay attention because AI isn’t just a celebrity problem. AI can also copy the distinctive elements customers associate with your company.

The question is whether you have identified and protected them before anyone else starts using them.

My latest article explains what’s happening and what business owners should consider now.

Click here to read the article:
👉 https://www.ipguy.com/taylor-swift-is-trying-to-trademark-herself/

“𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧, 𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧, 𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧” 𝗠𝗔𝗬 𝗕𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞

When you hear those three words, you immediately think of Matthew McConaughey.

That recognition has value.

McConaughey has secured federal trademark registrations for recordings of his distinctive voice, including “Alright, alright, alright.” Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, and the Backstreet Boys are pursuing similar strategies.

They understand something every business owner should consider: 𝗔 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗼.

A sound. A phrase. A product shape. A movement. A distinctive demonstration. Even the way someone introduces your company could become something customers associate with a single source.

And AI is making those distinctive characteristics easier to copy.

In my latest article, I explain what these celebrities are doing—and what it could mean for your business.

Click here to read the article:
👉 https://www.ipguy.com/taylor-swift-is-trying-to-trademark-herself/