The managers of the British boy band One Direction have countersued an American group with the same name.

The U.S. One Direction sued Simon Cowell and his partners at Syco Entertainment and Sony Music for trademark violation earlier this year claiming they had the name first- one year before the Brit group perfomed on the U.K. version of "The X Factor".

But on Thursday the heads of both companies countersued the American group, alleging they "devised and perpetrated a scheme to exploit the goodwill" of the boy band.

The U.S. One Direction has yet to sign a record deal.

One Direction
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