Don Henley sues clothing company over Eagles pun

Eagles frontman Don Henley is suing a Wisconsin-based clothing manufacturer over an ad he says is a copyright violation.

According to Billboard, clothing company Duluth Trading Co. emailed out an ad for a shirt sale which reads, "Don a Henley, Take it Easy." It's a tongue-in-cheek reference to the band's first single, released in 1972.

But "Take it Easy" is the last thing Henley wants to do.

The ad in question Duluth Trading Co.

In the lawsuit, Henley accuses the company of taking advantage of his fame, and says the ad could confuse people into thinking he's endorsing the shirts.

The blatant reference to the Eagles' song and the fact that Henley's full name is used are the main components of the lawsuit filed in California district court.

A spokesperson for Henley told The Hollywood Reporter, "This kind of thing happens with some degree of frequency and the members of the Eagles always defend their rights, often at great expense. One would think that the people in charge of marketing for these corporations would have learned by now that U.S. law forbids trading on the name of a celebrity without permission from that celebrity.

"Both Mr. Henley and the Eagles have worked hard, for over 40 years, to build their names and goodwill in the world community. They pride themselves on the fact that they have never allowed their names, likenesses or music - individually or as a group -- to be used to sell products. Their names are their trademarks and, therefore, they take offense when an individual or a business tries to piggyback and capitalize on their art, their hard work and their goodwill in the public arena," the spokesperson continued."

Duluth Trading Company has not yet issued a comment. Feel free to view the lawsuit in full here.

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