Roger Waters' failed attempt to stop Gilmour and Mason from using the Pink Floyd name

After Roger Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985, he declared the band finished and tried to prevent David Gilmour and Nick Mason from continuing under the name. He even sent a letter to EMI and CBS claiming any future releases would be “false and misleading.” The legal fight kicked off in late 1986.

In the High Court in London, Waters argued that Pink Floyd was his “concept” and that the name should be retired. Gilmour and Mason countered that the band was a partnership and the remaining members had every right to carry on. The judge sided with them, effectively telling Waters he couldn’t veto the name just because he quit. The settlement gave Gilmour and Mason the legal right to use “Pink Floyd,” though Waters got some control over the band’s visual logo and future use of The Wall imagery.

What’s often overlooked: Rick Wright, who had been fired by Waters years earlier, was quietly rehired as a session musician during the A Momentary Lapse of Reason sessions. His official return to the band wouldn’t come until later, but the legal ruling basically let the three remaining members rebuild without Waters’ interference.