Legal Information

Legal Notice: This Company will protect the Brand and reserves the right to all legal remedies against performers, managers, agents, venues, sponsors, promoters, advertisers, and all other entities that engage in illegal behavior. Be governed accordingly.

Who are we really? Truth in Music State Laws Imposters

Who are we really?

Bill Pinkney, The Legend of The Drifters^(c), was the sole surviving member of The Drifters’ 1953 initial recording / touring lineup that included organizer Clyde McPhatter, Gerhart and Andrew Thrasher, Willie Ferbee, and Bill Pinkney. Pinkney’s legacy group is now on the 61st Anniversary Tour. 

Original Drifters, Inc. and its Principal, Pinkney’s successors and sole owners of the mark “Bill Pinkney’s Original Drifters^®” USPTO registration # 3,649,096 and the mark “The Original Drifters” registered by the state of Nevada, claim all rights and privileges in his professional legacy including the associated Drifters goodwill.

Pinkney was confirmed in the exclusive and irrevocable ownership of the name/mark “Original Drifters” in a binding union arbitration through the American Guild of Variety Artists in the 1950s.  Pinkney brought the action to document and validate his standing against George Treadwell (with George and Fayrene Treadwell, Charlie Thomas, and Ben E. King, among others, present).

Pinkney later successfully challenged a 1970 Default Judgment entered in an action brought unknown to him by The Drifters, Inc. (Fayrene Treadwell, principal) that precluded his  use of “The Drifters or The Original Drifters.”  A 1992 Federal Court interim Decision that stated in relevant part “Bill Pinkney shall be entitled to conduct his business activities as he has heretofore been doing”.  In 1993, Pinkney prevailed in the entire action that dissolved the Default Judgment and effectively affirmed his rights in both “The Drifters or The Original Drifters”. 

Treadwell’s Drifters, Inc. later obtained a favorable decision against a third party and sought to register “The Drifters” name/mark in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  That application for registration was not granted based on Pinkney’s opposition, as Pinkney prevailed in the action in September 2004 when the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denied the Treadwell registration citing Pinkney’s “priority.” 

Accordingly, there is no standing judgment in any court that precludes our use of the names/marks “The Drifters or The Original Drifters,” in addition to the pure registered mark. Pinkney, by choice, usually limited his billing to using the mark “Original Drifters”, alone or in conjunction with his name. It is historically and legally well documented that Pinkney’s continuous use since 1953 predates any Treadwell involvement in The Drifters story.

Alleged Treadwell heirs launched an unsuccessful challenge as recently as 2010. Press Release Forthcoming.

Truth in Music Laws

The Truth in Rock Initiative began in the late 1990s as a group of artists and friends who were determined to address the proliferation of the market by imposters who robbed actual artists of their legacies and livelihood. They unsuccessfully lobbied Congress for legislative action on a bill sponsored by Dennis Kucinich D-OH and Charlie Norwood R-GA.

At the United States Congress

The Nation's landmark legislation was the spring, 2004 South Carolina "Bill Pinkney Law." (It later was amended, making the verbiage consistent with subsequent States’ laws.) North Dakota followed with the second law at the request of Sonny Turner of The Platters.

In fall, 2004 the Vocal Group Hall of Fame held an organizational meeting of its Truth in Music Committee to continue a state-by-state effort. The Charter Members in attendance were Bill Pinkney, Maxine Porter, Dolores Kenniebrew, Joe Terry, Frank Maffei, Mary Wilson, Carl Gardner, Veta Gardner, Herb Reed, Gail Stewart, and Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, who was appointed as the committee chairman.

As a result of this Committee’s efforts, 32 more States in the Union now have enacted Truth in Music Laws under their respective consumer protection codes against false advertising or false designation of origin.

LEGAL NOTE: These Laws do not confer any legal rights to anyone who does not have legally documented name use rights. Federal Trademark Laws supersede these State laws, so State compliance is not sufficient to guard against Federal infringement lawsuits.

“IF-ters” -- Beware of Infringers / Imposters!

“IF-ters,” meaning IF they had a marketable product/service of their own, abound, so Beware of them! We see this mostly from short-term fill–in hired show singers, or those who worked in illegal entities, but who do not have any independent legal rights to use the name or any variations of it. This is a tremendous disservice to our loyal fans! Let us know if you encounter any of them.

Imposter Leporia Logins a/k/a Lee Logan a/k/a Hollywood Logan, among many other aliases, has engaged in infringing activities via “The Legendary Drifters” and “The Original Driftors” (sic.)

Many have been duped while Logins has left a long trail of misrepresentation, unpaid bills and returned checks.  We are informed that Authorities in a number of states throughout the Midwest and the South have pending Motions and Warrants against him.

We prevailed in Cook County, IL Case No. 09 CH 32813, ORIGINAL DRIFTERS, INC., Plaintiff, v. STARDUST CHICAGO, INC.; KREM GROUP, LLC; PROMOTER BOB "DOE"; LEE LOGAN a/k/a LEPORIA LOGINS; JERRY HENDRIX; EDWARD COLLINS; JAMES PAYTON; and JOHANNE HARVIN, Defendants.

Kindly refer to the following copy of the successful Judgment against the infringing venue. 

The document reads in part “Order This matter coming before the Court on Plaintiff’s Motion for Entry of Order of Default Against Krem Group LLC and status, with due notice given and the Court duly advised in  this premise, It is HEREBY ORDERED:
Plaintiff’s Motion for Entry of Order of Default Against Krem Group LLC is granted.” Similar Orders were secured against the venue management and Logins.

Further action was taken against other defendants including individual performers and the parent company.

Leporia Logan Mugshots.com ID: 8712379 Admission Date: 6/18/2012 Birth date: 9/08/1964 Booking No: 176422 Build: EXTRA L Charges:

Offense	Sentence Length	County of Conviction	Sentence Date	Tentative Release
FALSE PRETENSE	1 YEARS	LOWNDES

Complexion: MEDIUM Eye Color: BROWN Gender: MALE Hair Color: BLACK Height: 6′ 3″ (1.91 m)

Weight: 260 lb (118 kg) Last Movement Date: 6/18/2012 at 12:00 Location: CMCF Unit: QB MISSISSIPPI

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