The ongoing legal battle over Live’s trademark has intensified, with former band members issuing a cease-and-desist letter to original frontman Ed Kowalczyk demanding he stop using the band name for commercial purposes.
As reported by Rolling Stone, guitarist Chad Taylor and drummer Chad Gracey posted screenshots of the legal document on Instagram, revealing that Action Front Unlimited, Inc., which owns Live’s trademarks, revoked Kowalczyk’s rights to use the Live brand as of February 16th, 2026.
“As of Feb. 16, 2026, [Kowalczyk’s] rights to use the LIVE brand were revoked by AFU. I won’t fight this in public. The courts will handle it,” Taylor wrote.
The cease-and-desist letter, formally titled “Re: Formal Notice of Termination and Revocation of Trademark License and All Purported Rights — LIVE Marks — Cease and Desist Demand,” seeks to prevent Kowalczyk from using the Live name “in connection with touring, merchandising, recording, advertising, promotion, branding, or any other commercial activity.”
Kowalczyk’s legal team has rejected the claims, with his attorney Mitchell Schuster stating: “The assertions contained in the recently circulated ‘cease and desist’ letter from certain former members of LIVE are without merit. Ed Kowalczyk has served as the band’s frontman since its founding and remains in that role. The claims made do not alter that reality.”
Live, which achieved massive commercial success in 1994 with singles “Selling the Drama” and “Lightning Crashes,” has been embroiled in legal battles for over a decade after originally splitting in 2009.
Previous lawsuits included a 2010 breach-of-contract case regarding publishing deals, and a 2012 trademark infringement suit over Kowalczyk’s billing as “Ed Kowalczyk, formerly of Live.” The band briefly reunited in 2012 with Chris Shinn replacing Kowalczyk as vocalist, before the original frontman returned in 2016.
The situation escalated in 2022 when Kowalczyk allegedly dismissed the other original members, assuming complete control of the Live name. While Kowalczyk has continued touring under the Live banner with backing musicians, the former members have pursued separate legal avenues.
