Commodores co-founder loses UK trademark fight after a judge rules he tried to 'shut out' his old band

Thomas McClary, the co-founder who left The Commodores in 1984, has lost his High Court bid to claim the UK trademark on the band name after Mr Justice Richards ruled his firm Fifth Avenue Entertainment LLC was attempting to freeze out former bandmates who had toured as The Commodores for over 30 years.

The 12-year legal battle was triggered by Brexit, which extinguished an earlier agreement protecting McClary's European touring rights.

McClary had been performing across the UK and Europe as 'The Commodores featuring Thomas McClary' since 2014, clashing with the active line-up led by founding member William King.

The judge upheld a 2025 UK Intellectual Property Office ruling, finding McClary 'was seeking to shut out' his former bandmates from the name they had used for decades.