released his new single “Take Back the Night” from his upcoming on Friday. But the new song shares a name with an anti-rape organization who is unhappy with the song’s themes. is hoping to come to an agreement after Timberlake used the trademark without permission.
TBTN’s Executive Director Katherine Koestner told that members were “shocked” Timberlake didn’t ask to use the group’s name.
“Normally entities as large as Justin Timberlake do very kind and thoughtful things to support our cause,” she said. “They claimed he’d never heard of us before he wrote that song. … It’s a big song, and he didn’t take the necessary steps to make sure that it was appropriate.”
The themes in “Take Back the Night” also do not mesh well with the message of the group. “The lyrics are definitely very sexual and not at all clearly anti-sexual violence,” Koestner said. “‘Use me,’ for example, is not a great phrase for anyone affiliated with the organization.”
Timberlake recently released an for his song “Tunnel Vision” with women posing and dancing naked.
Take Back the Night has sent Timberlake a letter from their lawyers, and Koestner said they hope the situation can be resolved “amicably.”
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Kelsey Fowler is currently studying nothing music-related at Ithaca College. Help keep her in the loop on .
