Dr. Dre and Interscope Sue Headphone Makers

Legendary producer Dr. Dre and Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine are suing a Delaware-based headphone manufacturer for $1 million, according to tmz.com. The lawsuit accuses SLS International, Steve Lamar, Pentgram Design and Jibe Audio of pulling what is described in court documents as a “classic bait and switch” when they failed to honor an agreement to design and manufacture a line of headphones called “Beats by Dr. Dre.” According to court documents, Lamar and SLS initially agreed to manufacture and market the line of custom headphones, but later withdrew from the agreement, asking Dre and Iovine to work with Jibe Audio to provide the less experienced company with funding. When Dre and Iovine objected, Lamar then threatened to take the headphone design elsewhere. The suit also alleges that Lamar and SLS tried to secretly register the “Beats” name as a trademark. In addition to the $1 million in damages, Dre and Iovine are also seeking an injunction to prevent the defendants from manufacturing and selling headphones under the “Beats” name and design.