Back in April, X Factor boys One Direction discovered that they were being sued by an American band with the same name which claimed it had it first.
But not a boy band to take the matter lightly, they are now countersuing the less famous group claiming they are trying to make money off their success.
Simon Cowell's creation are fighting back against their US namesakes saying they had the name first.
The British One Direction say they have achieved 'global fame and success' and the unknown group are trying to make a name for themselves by riding their coattails.
The US version filed a lawsuit this spring claiming they had the name after it formed in 2009 - a year before Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson had even met.
They asked the UK group to change its name claiming they had beaten their British counterparts to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, filing a trademark application before them.
They are also suing Cowell's record label and Sony Music for $1m in damages in the federal lawsuit filed on Monday in California Central District Court.
Cowell's boys, who were formed on the UK X Factor in 2010, have enjoyed big success across the Pond clocking up a No.1 with their debut album Up All Night.
In contrast, the five-man California band, led by singer and pianist Sean O'Leary, has a much lower profile.
A Syco spokesperson confirmed to the Mail Online tonight that the boy band had countersued.
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