Entertainment Music Country Jelly Roll Sued by Pennsylvania Wedding Band Jellyroll over Alleged Trademark Infringement Jellyroll band member Kurt L. Titchenell's lawyers claim he's been using the moniker since 1980 — four years before country star Jelly Roll was born By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 15, 2024 06:45PM EDT Jelly Roll in Washington, DC in December 2023. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty A jelly roll is a sponge cake rolled with sweet filling. It's also the name of a popular country singer — as well as a wedding band from Pennsylvania, who claims its trademark rights have been infringed upon. In a lawsuit filed in federal court on April 8, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, lawyers for Jellyroll band member Kurt L. Titchenell are asking Jelly Roll (born Jason Bradley DeFord) to stop using the name, claiming the group first adopted the moniker around 1980 before obtaining a trademark in 2010 and renewing the paperwork in 2019. According to the complaint, Jellyroll has been performing at "celebratory and charitable events" in the United States — first in the Delaware Valley and later throughout the Northeast — "since at least 1980." Jelly Roll Reacts to Earning First ACMs Nominations — Including Entertainer of the Year: 'Insanity' (Exclusive) Jelly Roll in Los Angeles in February 2024. Getty Images The band's onstage appearances include two shows "at the White House for President George W. Bush and his family," claims the suit. Jelly Roll was born in 1984 and has spoken about how his onstage moniker was given to him by his mom as a child. He began releasing music in the early 2000s, though the complaint claims he didn't adopt the stage name until about 2010. Name recognition is a main concern for Titchenell and his band. "Prior to the Defendant’s recent rise in notoriety, a search of the name of Jellyroll on most search engines, and particularly Google, returned references to the Plaintiff," reads the suit. Jelly Roll Says He's Lost '70-Something Pounds' as He Prepares for 5K: 'I Feel Really Good' (Exclusive) "Now, any such search on Google returns multiple references to Defendant, perhaps as many as 18-20 references before any reference to Plaintiff’s entertainment dance band known as Jellyroll® can be found," adds Titchenell's legal team. Per the complaint, Titchenell issued a cease-and-desist to "various email addresses believed to be associated with" Jelly Roll and his team, who responded at the time, "wanting to discuss" the situation. "Several conversations ensued and at one point Defendant’s counsel inquired as to whether Defendant really was in competition with Plaintiff," writes lawyers for Titchenell. Jelly Roll Reflects on Ups and Downs with Bunnie Xo: 'Ain't Always Been Hallmark Cards and Care Bears' (Exclusive) Jelly Roll in Austin on April 7, 2024. Taylor Hill/WireImage The suit highlights Jelly Roll's upcoming Beautifully Broken Tour, which features dates in the Northeast including a show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia — where much of Jellyroll's business has been conducted. Titchenell's legal team claims Jelly Roll's use of the name is "creating confusion in the marketplace as to" which of the acts will be performing at a given event. A rep for Jelly Roll did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Jelly Roll in Los Angeles in February 2024. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Since the release of his Ballads of the Broken album in 2021, Jelly Roll has risen to mainstream fame with hit singles including "Need a Favor" and "Save Me." This year, he's won three CMT Music Awards and two iHeartRadio Music Awards — and received his first four nominations for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards. "I spent my whole life just thinking that what I was doing would never be heard or seen," Jelly Roll told PEOPLE in a recent interview. "I almost gave up on any dream of this thing ever being like it is now, and man, is it just incredible to be in the middle of it. I'm grateful."