February 13, 2002

Multi-platinum rock group Fuel has requested that the corporate sponsors of a rock concert tour "cease and desist" from using the Fuel trademark because it is causing confusion among fans. The group has asked Toyota to refrain from using the "Fuel the Music Tour" moniker in conjunction with a rock concert tour that the car manufacturer is sponsoring.

Fuel songwriter/guitarist Carl Bell says, "We want to clarify any confusion among our fans, and just feel this is an unfortunate oversight by the organizers of this tour. We wish the tour well, but we've fought long and hard to make a name for ourselves and don't want to mislead music fans in any way. Music and touring are what we do, so we have to protect our name."

The Pennsylvania-based quartet has been known as Fuel since 1995. Their hits include the #1 rock tracks "Shimmer" and "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" as well as "Bad Day," "Last Time," "Jesus Or a Gun" and "Innocent." Their two albums, Sunburn and Something Like Human have sold over four million copies worldwide.

The group became aware of the problem when an ad for the "Fuel the Music Tour" ran in the February issue of a major music magazine on the same page as a photo of the band Fuel. Fans of Fuel -- who are off the road after touring for 18 months -- began emailing their website and inquiring about the group's participation in the "Fuel the Music Tour."