Coachella Sues Afrochella Music Event Over Name Similarity

A-list festival Coachella is suing a similarly named music event in West Africa for alleged trademark infringement. Court papers obtained on Thursday affirm that Afrochella conducts its business under a “confusingly similar” name to the Coachella brand. 

Afrochella is a multi-day music and arts event in Ghana, West Africa, that has been celebrating Africa’s thriving and vibrant culture since 2017. 

Coachella’s organizers are also pursuing claims against Afrochella Ltd. for unauthorized domain registration similar to its trademark. 

According to Fox Los Angeles, the complaint shows that four years ago, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused a trademark application for the West African music festival. The main reason behind the denial was Afrochella’s broad event description. 

The agency has further suggested that “a prior-filed pending application may present a bar to registration of applicant’s mark.” 

This is not the first time when Coachella shows its claws regarding trademark infringement. The LA festival has a history of filing lawsuits for the use of its now iconic “chella” slogan.

Recently, the lusted-after event settled a suit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. for promoting a concert under the Coachella Day One 22 name.