One
Direction have won a legal dispute over the right to keep using their band
name.
A US punk group of the same name challenged the
UK boy band earlier this year, saying that they had called themselves One
Direction first.
One
Direction US will now be known as Uncharted Shores, while the UK group will
remain as One Direction.
The
two groups issued a press release announcing the change of the American band's
name.
It
stated that both groups were happy with the outcome.
One
Direction US sued the British band for $1 million (£630,000) in damages and
asked for a share of the former X Factor stars' royalties.
The
American group said that they had received hate mail and death threats from
fans of the UK group.
Simon
Cowell's entertainment company, Syco, put in a counter-claim suggesting the US
band were trying to make money from their success.
Harry
Styles and Zayn Malik had previously insisted that One Direction UK would not
change its name.
The
UK five-piece, who were put together on The X Factor in 2010, have made chart
history in America.
Their
album Up All Night went straight in at number one on the Billboard chart
earlier this year.
It
made them the first British band to top the chart with their debut album.