10 Biggest (And Weirdest) Lawsuits In Star Trek History
7. Romulan Punk Rock
James White is the frontman for a punk rock band named The Romulans, formed in 1982. The name was derived from a combination of Romulus and Romans. This was a statement on the politics of Ancient Rome and how they compared to the politics of Reagan-era America in the 1980s.
White attempted to register the band's name and logo in 1983, which Paramount Pictures quickly opposed. They claimed that 'Romulans' had long been a part of the Star Trek franchise, as the original Romulan Commander and ship had appeared in 1966. Further to this, they had produced licensed material, merchandise and other goods with the name Romulan on them.
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled against Paramount in this instance. They found that, while the company had produced these items as described, they had failed to do so while copyrighting the name Romulan. Therefore, they found that White was free to register his band's name and logo, thus a new era of pointy-eared Punk Rock began.