Neil Young wins legal battle against luxury brand

The luxury fashion and jewelry house Chrome Hearts have officially dropped their lawsuit against Neil Young and his backing band, The Chrome Hearts. The legal dispute began last September, when the Los Angeles brand filed charges the singer-songwriter of registered trademark infringement for the use of the name “Chrome Hearts” in the musical project that has accompanied Young since 2024. According to the company, the band’s use of the name could have created “confusion in the marketplace” and unfairly exploited the brand’s reputation.

In the complaint, Chrome Hearts claimed that it had never granted any permission to the artist for use of the name, also seeking an injunction to prevent future use. Young’s band, made up of Micah Nelson, Corey McCormick, Anthony Logerfo and Spooner Oldham, has accompanied the musician on tour and in recent live performances, including his headlining set at last year’s Glastonbury. Now, however, with a document filed in court on May 14, the brand has decided to voluntarily close the proceedings, effectively leaving the field open to the artist. It is currently unclear whether a private agreement was reached between the parties or whether Chrome Hearts simply chose to abandon the case. The story also attracted attention for the symbolic contrast between two very different worlds: on the one hand one of the most recognizable luxury brands of contemporary fashion culture, on the other Neil Young, historical icon of independent rock and notoriously distant from corporate logic.