So from the cease and desist back and forth from winter. There is movement in the Ed suit vs AFU and the counter suit / response to legalities of the band

———

Man. Some bad shit coming to Ed, Hardin and their attorney

RICO charges in counterclaim suit

Ed doesn’t own Live. Never his to take. But fraudulent as he always tries to take it, he’s gonna pay dearly

This is the filing from 2025 - you won’t see the current unless you have a way into Pacer system

This link should work but may do a bot verification

https://dockets.justia.com/docket/maryland/...5cv02111/585370

Highlights :

Ed as 25% of AFU member, changed the mailing address to get the trademark notices of expiry and not CCP seeing it.

Used fifth Veda to take over trademark and violate AFU corporate charter as still a 25% manager /vp

Used attorney and booking agent to get signatures (fraudulent) where use of live mark was granted from 2022 tours, merch.

Cease and desist filing was tendered to stop the Ed usurptation - where this lawsuit was originally filed by Ed and 5th Veda as his action to keep CCP away

Ed violated 2013 settlement agreement around use of Live trademark and had not paid 25% to Action Front Unlimited since 2022.

Use of wire transfers for said “legal documents” under issue deemed interstate commerce violation under US law statues (RICO)

Ed signed off in 2013 to the 25% use of Live mark where he had to pay AFU corporate for the nonesense from 2010-2012

Ed must provide a full accounting of all revenues which violated since 2022

Jury trial demanded from Ed, Hardin, and attorney Kostiner


So this is where the legalities are

This post has been edited by OutToDry: Jun 16 2026, 3:56 am

Seeing this exchange from other thread brings out a point of proof in the counter suit claims

The counter suit against the 3 parties had these takeaway legal arguments

COUNTERCLAIMS AGAINST THE FIFTH VEDA, INC.

Counterclaim One — Trademark Infringement (15 U.S.C. §1114)

Counterclaim Two — False Designation of Origin (15 U.S.C. §1125(a))

Counterclaim Three — Breach of the 2013 Settlement Agreement

THIRD-PARTY COMPLAINT AGAINST
EDWARD J. KOWALCZYK, CHRIS HARDIN, AND DAVID KOSTINER

Count One
Trademark Infringement (15 U.S.C. §1114) (Against Kowalczyk and Hardin)

Count Two
False Designation of Origin (15 U.S.C. §1125(a)) (Against Kowalczyk and Hardin)

Count Three
RICO Violations (18 U.S.C. §§1962© and (d)) (Against Kowalczyk and Kostiner)

Predicate Act One — Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343)

Predicate Act Two — Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343)

Predicate Act Three — Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. §1343)

Count Four
Breach of Fiduciary Duty (Against Kowalczyk) - Dual AFU and conflict TFV

Count Five
Accounting (Against Kowalczyk)

This post has been edited by OutToDry: Jun 15 2026, 6:03 pm

Thanks for the information. That link you provided however was not correctly formed. It looks like it's been shortened (it's got the ... in the URL).
Do you happen to have the full link?

I’ve fixed the link above

The document updates are paywalled. I’m not at liberty to share the docket pdf at the moment

South American tour dates have disappeared from event schedule. No official word from Ed or his manager yet

South Africa and Bloomsburg PA still shows on calendar and Live website

Expect a wipe clean action

Do you think the tour date removal is related to this suit?

If Ed removes the term Live from advertising do you think the South America tour will resume?

I saw a thread on fansoflive fb page at first and this thread has been removed by Nick or another admin. Why the censorship Nick ? It was there a few hrs ago and now poof.

To answer your question. I do believe so.

On advertising, branding. If Injunction goes through yea no more using name, and I think he would be permanently banned from ever being in Live again based on what I’ve been told.

Solo act, as for use of songs, I think that is being debated around articles of incorporation. Ed didn’t pay his shares of revenue during time of second split on (2020-21). Royalties on song streaming is also part of the other lawsuit filed by Gracey in York county court. That one also having similar issues as the MD federal case.

Lots of things here could have been avoided if they took proper discussion back in 2016 instead of the rushed reunion and badly negotiated tour money split that CT blames on his alcoholism admitted to in post recovery. Band therapy was needed to break through Ed / CCP long rooted issues over song writing and original charter contracts. That’s why 5th veda company was created as a way to usurp their signed articles of incorporation and charter (with everyone getting 25% of all monies on everything).



This post has been edited by OutToDry: Jun 23 2026, 6:55 am

Do you mean this thread?
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Hxqguaz6E/

That post just came on there - I get mental jewelry thread - video

Is your link about MJ

Or the one I’m talking about.

Maybe Nick banned me from seeing that

He did ban me. wtf ?

This post has been edited by OutToDry: Jun 23 2026, 3:00 pm