10 Biggest (And Weirdest) Lawsuits In Star Trek History

7. Romulan Punk Rock

Star Trek Romulan
CBS Media Ventures

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.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"