According to Norway's VG, Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal and Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen are wrapped up in a legal battle over the rights to the band's name.

According to the report (translated), Immortal is considered one of the country's first and largest black metal bands. The band was started by Olve "Abbath" Eikemo and Harald "Demonaz" Nævdal in 1990, and Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen became a member in 1996. In recent years, however, there has been a long-standing conflict within the band.

In 2014, Abbath tried to register Immortal as his own exclusive trademark with the Norwegian Patent Office. The two other band members, Demonaz and Horgh, reacted strongly to this. They therefore sent a formal protest to the Norwegian Patent Office, which was upheld. After the incident, Abbath chose to leave Immortal.

According to a recent decision from the Norwegian Patent Office, Demonaz registered "Immortal" as his exclusive trademark in July 2019. The registration was approved, and he was therefore given the exclusive right to use the band name commercially.

Horgh chose to appeal the registration, and has now been upheld. This means that Demonaz loses the exclusive rights.

When VG contacted Horgh, he said that he was not informed about the registration made by Demonaz.

"It could never have occurred to me to register the trademark on myself as Nævdal has done here, but I have found myself having to fight to keep the rights I have earned through a long career in this band. It is, and after all has been for many years, a large part of my livelihood, said Horgh in an e-mail to VG.

Any decision from the Norwegian Patent Office can be appealed to the Industrial Rights Appeals Board, and possibly the courts.

Demonaz tells VG that he disagrees with the decision, and that a further process regarding the appeal will be decided after the holiday.

Read more at VG.no.

(Photo - Anne Swallow)