Wouldn't it be nice...

...if the remaining founders of the Beach Boys could share their intellectual property? According to the New York Times, that may soon be the case as they have reportedly settled a series of litigation over alleged misuse of the Beach Boys name.

The Beach Boys trademark is registered to Brother Records, Inc., the group's corporate entity. The dispute was reportedly about the use of the name by Al Jardin, a founder of the group and a shareholder in Brother Records, Inc.

For most musicians, copyright is the only intellectual property issue they'll ever have to deal with. The Beach Boys brand, however, is so recognizable that it can command some large sums, in this case in the millions.

The Beach Boys saga is a fascinating one that goes way beyond intellectual property. You can read all about it at SFPL.