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==Legal battles== A profusion of legal challenges ensued among the many groups of Platters. Those looking to hear the classic lineup of songs had their pick of approved, disputed, and substituted Platters, including Sonny Turner's, Zola Taylor's, Ritchie Jones' (member 1984β85), Milton Bullock's (member 1967β70), Paul Robi's (managed by his widow), Jean Bennett's "Buck Ram Platters", Monroe Powell's, Herb Reed's, and several other groups with no current ties to the original group. Many had once contained former members who were now retired or deceased. Powell, who had been touring under the Platters' name, was sued by Bennett for breach of employment contract. Bennett and Powell later reached an agreement that Powell would be able to tour, but only as "The Platters featuring Monroe Powell".<ref>{{cite web |title=Herb Reed Enterprises, Inc. et al v. Monroe Powell's Platters, LLC et al |publisher=Justia |url=https://dockets.justia.com/docket/nevada/nvdce/2:2011cv02010/84946 |postscript=. U.S. Dist. Nev. Case No. 2:11-cv-02010-PMPβRJJ, Docket No. 26, February 1, 2012, |access-date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> In 1994, Jean Bennett fraudulently used the name for a show at the [[Sahara Hotel and Casino|Sahara]] Casino in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]; that show ran for 15 years. Shortly before Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and the right to use the Platters' name. Those rights were stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and required her to destroy all Platters' promotional material, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Reed. A series of rulings in 1999, 2002, and 2004 gave Bennett and The Five Platters, Inc,, the only entity who had used the name consistently since 1954, the common law right to the name. The 2002 case legally rescinded Reed's exclusive trademark rights, and the trademark was returned to the Five Platters, Inc. and Bennett. In January 2006, Las Vegas based G.E.M. Group, Inc. presented Bennett with a contract to buy the assets of "the singing group The Platters." G.E.M. then took Personality Productions, Inc. (Bennett's separate management company) corporate records and files and attempted to take the company's phone numbers. There was an immediate disagreement between Bennett and G.E.M., which filed a lawsuit to attain certain corporate assets, Bennett's personal property and the assets of the 1950s"singing group The Platters." The case was dismissed for lack of action on G.E.M.s part. In June 2006, G.E.M. entered into an agreement with Sonny Turner, who'd been the lead singer of the Platters from 1960 to 1970. Turner had not been able to bill himself as "The Platters" since 1972 due to a legal injunction. However, Turner later sued G.E.M. In 2007, Reed discussed the abundance of touring Platters groups: "I have to laugh because when you ask me how I feel about it, I'm irate, I'm infuriated. ... I've lost 25 weeks of work a year." Herb Reed died in June 2012 at 83. Reed was the only group member to appear on every original Platters recording through 1969. Sonny Turner, who replaced Tony Williams in late 1959, performed as Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters. Sonny brought The Platters back to the charts in 1966 with the hits, "I Love You 1000 Times", "With This Ring", and "Washed Ashore".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/platters.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000226231038/http://www.history-of-rock.com/platters.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2000-02-26|title=The Platters|date=February 26, 2000|access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref> He died on January 13, 2022. In 2011, Herb Reed and his companies obtained judgments declaring that his rights to the name were superior to all others, including Five Platters Inc. and Jean Bennett.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dockets.justia.com/docket/nevada/nvdce/2:2010cv01981/77482|title=Herb Reed Enterprises, Inc. et al v. Bennett et al|work=Justia Dockets & Filings |access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> In March 2014, although Reed had passed away in 2012, Herb Reed's companies were granted a judgment finding they had superior rights to the name "The Platters" over Larry Marshak and his companies, who claimed to have received rights through FPI and/or Tony Williams<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/nevada/nvdce/2:2012cv00560/86827/139|title=ORDER Granting 99 Plaintiff Herb Reed Enterprises, LLC's Motion for Summary Judgment for Herb Reed Enterprises, LLC v. Florida Entertainment Management, Inc. et al :: Justia Dockets & Filings|work=Justia Dockets & Filings|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> In April 2014, Reed's company obtained a judgment against the World Famous Platters requiring them to identify themselves as a "Tribute to the Platters" or a "Salute to the Platters".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/florida/flmdce/8:2014cv00056/293002/51|title=ORDER granting 47 Motion for Default Judgment for Herb Reed Enterprises, LLC v. The World Famous Platters Road Shows I LLC et al :: Justia Dockets & Filings|work=Justia Dockets & Filings|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> In June 2014, Herb Reed's companies obtained a judgment against former singer Monroe Powell for trademark infringement. The Nevada district court granted Reed summary judgment, awarding him over $59,000 in damages (from US and international tour performances) and permanent injunctive relief, preventing Powell from using the "Platters" name without using the words "tribute" or "salute".<ref>Copyright Trademark Music Law Blog. [http://ctmlblog.tumblr.com/post/89662602708/owner-of-the-platters-trademark-obtains-permanent "Owner of the Platters Trademark Obtains Judgment"], June 23, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/nevada/nvdce/2:2011cv02010/84946/172 "Herb Reed Enterprises, Inc. et al v. Monroe Powell's Platters, LLC et al"], ''Justia Dockets & Filings''. Retrieved August 26, 2014.</ref> In 2016, Herb Reed Enterprises LLC was awarded a trademark from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the exclusive use of the Platters name. Reed's legacy is maintained by Frederick J. Balboni Jr., Reed's manager, veteran broadcast journalist, music promoter, and the owner of Massachusetts-based Balboni Communications Group LLC and Herb Reed Enterprises LLC.
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