One Direction

One Direction are in a spot of legal bother as a US band has filed a lawsuit, saying that they owned the name 'One Direction' first.

The pre-pubescent popstars, who are currently reducing teenage girls across America to tears, could be forced to pay out over £600,000 in damages to a US boyband, who also have five members.

The other One Direction formed in 2009 and also claim that they registered the name with US Patent and Trademark Office before The X Factor runners up even met.

Writing on their blog, the US One Direction attempted to soften the blow of the lawsuit by stating that they liked the British version of the band, but were going to sue them anyway.

They wrote: "To protect our rights, we reluctantly have filed a lawsuit. Despite our best efforts, unsecured loans we were unable to negotiate a reasonable compromise with the handlers for the band. They chose not to use a different name. They chose to press ahead, using the exact same name, One Direction, setting up the current difficulties and confusion in the United States.

The blog added: "The British boy band is well funded and high profile. They have Mr Cowell's enormous resources behind them. We on the other bad credit loans hand do not. In our view, we were here first. We have rights. We have talent, and we have heart. We are standing up for all of the above. Not having money does not take away your rights or make you 'less than'."

One Direction have not commented on the suit as yet.