The Hecker Law Group PLC Announces Rock Star: Supernova Trademark Case Dismissed.

Supergroup Will Continue to Use Supernova in its Name

LOS ANGELES -- A lawsuit between Mark Burnett Productions (JMBP) and an Orange County punk band involving a dispute over the band name Supernova has been dismissed with prejudice by the Federal District Court in San Diego, Calif., and the case settled. The dismissal was entered by the Federal Court on Sept. 22, 2006. The case arose following the announcement of the second season of the CBS primetime reality television series "Rock Star: Supernova" produced by the Mark Burnett companies.

In its Complaint filed under the name Supernova of Cynot3, LLC, the punk band claimed "common law" trademark rights in its unregistered band name Supernova, despite having not performed in years until the announcement of the CBS primetime reality television series "Rock Star: Supernova." The Complaint was filed against famous rockers Gilby Clark, Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted, CBS, and three Mark Burnett affiliated companies. The punk band later dropped its claims against the three musicians and abandoned its request for a preliminary injunction against CBS and the name Supernova as used on the "Rock Star: Supernova" television series.

"The preliminary injunction that was sought from the Federal Court was really more of a white dwarf than a supernova in my view," said Gary Hecker of The Hecker Law Group, litigation counsel for Mark Burnett Productions. "The 90's punk band didn't ask the Court to stop the use of the word supernova. They only asked that the name Supernova be used in a way that would distinguish it from the 90's punk band pending trial. So we reached a settlement, which the Court encouraged." The parties reached a final settlement agreement on Sept. 15, 2006.

The famous rockers will use supernova in their band name as Rock Star Supernova. JMBP's pending federal applications for the trademark Supernova, filed with the United States Trademark Office, will go forward unchanged and JMBP will own them.

About The Hecker Law Group: The Hecker Law Group is one of the nation's leading intellectual property law firm boutiques. Founded in 1988, the firm's practice focuses on complex technology and entertainment matters, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition, trade secrets, and entertainment transactions. Its clients past and present are many of the world's leading companies, such as Apple Computer, Mark Burnett Productions, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, and Pixar Animation Studios. The firm's lawyers also hold technical degrees in computer science, electrical and mechanical engineering, neuroscience and physics.