A family feud is a rabit hole to avoid. Unfortunately, a court battle has developed between Rudolph and Ronald Isley, the iconic group members of The Isley Brothers, known for hits such as “Twist and Shout” and “It’s Your Thing.”
According to TMZ, the brothers, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, have been equally splitting profits for some major transactions, including a multi-million dollar publishing deal. They began splitting profits in 1986 after their brother O’Kelly passed away.
Rudolph now claims that his business agreement with his brother has changed. Rudolph is taking Ronald to court over the use of the “The Isley Brothers” trademark, which Ronald filed in November 2021, allegedly without his brother’s consent.
Recently, Ronald applied for the exclusive rights for “The Isley Brothers” to use on “visual recordings and audiovisual recordings featuring music and animation.” This application was filed and approved in August 2021. In order to proceed with this deal, Rudolph said he feels Ronald should have sought his approval.
In addition, Ronald is alleged to have kept all of the group’s profits since receiving the green light, rather than splitting them 50/50.
TMZ says Rudolph is now hoping the judge will order an accounting for financial transparency and to determine how much his brother has been earning under the trademark. Additionally, he supposedly wants the court to find that he shares ownership of the “The Isley Brother” trademark with Ronald and seeks half the earnings from it.
There has yet to be an official word from representatives for either Rudolph or Ronald Isley.
