Tina Turner is suing a tribute performer in Germany, alleging that the artist looks too much like her and could potentially confuse her fans, DW reports.
The 81-year-old singer is suing Dorothea "Coco" Fletcher, who acts as a tribute performer for a show in honor of Turner called "Simply the Best — The Tina Turner Story."
In Turner’s lawsuit, her lawyers argued that Fletcher’s similar appearance may confuse fans during promotion for the unofficial tribute. The singer added that her fans may have mistaken the tribute performer with Turner.
The lawsuit has made its way to Germany’s Federal Court of Justice, where a ruling will be created regarding the tribute act industry.
German law firm Cofo Entertainment has represented other tributary artists who have imitated The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
This isn’t the first time Turner has taken legal action against the talent firm. She initially filed a lawsuit against the Bavaria-based company in 2020 after promotional posters for the show were released. The courts ruled in Turner’s favor that the images could likely deceive fans.
After Turner’s victory, the images were redesigned, but she lost a follow-up case when she appealed before the Cologne Regional Court. They ruled that any confusion to the public didn’t align with Fletcher's prerogative for artistic expression. The case has now been moved to the Federal Court of Justice; the first hearing was held last week.
Kerstin Schmitt, who represents Turner, rebuffed the verdict, questioning whether advertisement for the show should be considered artistic expression.
"She [Turner] would like to decide when her name and image are used for commercial purposes," Schmitt said.
In response to Turner’s lawsuit, the entertainment company’s lawyer, Brunhilde Ackerman, said that many fans would expect a tributary performer to look like the real act. The court is slated to give a decision in Feb. 2022.
Earlier in 2021, rock band Pearl Jam sent a cease-and-desist letter to the impersonator band Pearl Jamm, requesting the group demolish all merchandising associated with the cover band and web domains.
Pearl Jam said the cover band’s name was “damaging the Pearl Jam brand and causing confusion” among fans, according to Loudwire.