The manager of the US group named One Direction has vowed that they "won't be pushed around" by Simon Cowell's record label.
[uuid=b8decf69-a0f6-40f4-9a03-0a2c7399493a]We told you yesterday[/uuid] how the American act is taking legal action against Sony and Syco over the British boy band of the same name using it in the US.
Dan O'Leary, who manages the US group, told The Sun: "I don't care how powerful Simon Cowell is. He's mad if he thinks we're going to lie down, sit down or back down over this - whatever power and money he has behind him. We're not going to be pushed around by some music mogul.
"The British One Direction have Mr Cowell's enormous resources behind them. We on the other hand do not. In our view, we were here first. We have rights, we have talent, and we have heart."
Mr O'Leary, who also happens to be the dad of his One Direction's lead singer Sean O'Leary, claimed they had been using the name since November 2009 - almost a year before the UK act formed on The X Factor.
He continued: "My boy's dreams and the dreams of the band are just as important as the dreams of Cowell's group.
"It's black and white what's been done. We asked Simon Cowell to change their name before they came here. But they ignored us, and now we're reluctantly at this point of legal action."
The group are reportedly seeking £630,000 in damages and three times the profits amassed by the British boy band so far.
Mr O'Leary insisted that there was no ill feeling towards the UK act.
He said: "To Zayn, Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis, we wish you all well, and many years of success.
"There should be plenty of room for both bands to grow and thrive. We hope that this dispute will be resolved soon, and then all of us can focus on what we do best - making music."

In other 1D news, it seems Rihanna is the latest woman to [uuid=d4cb2b48-959f-411a-a81d-d67bdb61ef27]take a shine to Harry Styles[/uuid].