Don Henley Is Unhappy, That Means Lawyers

It's a known fact that Don Henley doesn't like anyone to use his name, music or trademarks without permission.

The wrath of Don is being felt by a Wisconsin based clothing company that recently sent out an email ad for its shirts. The ad seems to be making a pun by using his name and one of the Eagles best known songs.

The advertisement from the Duluth Trading Company read, "Don A Henley and Take It Easy," and promoted the apparel maker's line of Henley shirts, a type of collarless pullover. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer/songwriter has initiated a lawsuit against the company in a California court, claiming that its ad is trying to cash in on Henley's well-known moniker and might lead people to wrongly believe that he may have sanctioned the shirts.

"Take It Easy" was the Eagles' first hit single, although Henley did not write the tune. It was co-written by the band's Glenn Frey and his friend Jackson Browne.

A rep for Henley tells 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."

The spokesperson adds, "[The Eagles] 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."

Meanwhile, a representative for the Duluth Trading Company has issued the following statement about the lawsuit: "We are aware of the claims made by Mr. Henley. Our policy is to not comment on the specifics regarding matters of litigation."