Due to yesterday being April 1st, the jazz combo Improv Everywhere has dropped their lawsuit, and we’ve got our name back! Hipp Hipp Hooray!
Thanks to everyone who emailed us words of support. Continue reading to see some of our favorite emails we received from folks on our mailing list.
What a bunch of killjoys — a name used over 20 years ago and they want you to cease and desist…you think it would do them no harm if someone bought their album thinking it had something to do with you… or perhaps they have no sense of humour.
Well, I won’t be buying their albums!
Why is it that there is always some bone head out there just waiting to ruin everyone’s fun? Keep smiling and be HIPP!
Dear IE/HIPP,
Any chance of a contest for a new name. HIPP just isn’t doing it for me. Not trying to be critical, just offering an idea that might get something cooler.
You should have consulted a lawyer- my understanding is two “products” can have the same name as long as they are totally different from each other. Think about all the different music albums that have the same name. In your case Improv Everywhere is the name of your group while their’s is the name of an album. Also- you could have just as easily been “Improv Everywhere” with “HIPP” as a subtitle or “Improvisation Everywhere” which would have been more than enough for the courts to consider it a completely different name. To be quite frank, HIPP is a stupid title. Consult with a lawyer and stick with your tried and true branding. It’ll save you money in the long run.
Next year: “Oh, HIPP? Sounds like some sort of rip off of Improv Everywhere”
Three cheers for taking the high road! It’s the HIPP thing to do.
These talentless hacks obviously sucked and are bitter about it. Sorry to hear a band of douchebags is responsible for the name change. :(
Personally, I’d politely tell them to blow it out their ass and if they really have a problem with it, they can go ahead and try to do something about it. I don’t think they’d get far — they’re a jazz band, you’re a comedy group, they haven’t done shit in over 20 years, you’ve been using the name for a while without any issue. I’m not 100% but I seem to recall that given these circumstances any rational court wouldn’t see any reason for you to have to change your name.
stupid dicks. Tell them to go play jazz