Bradley Nowell had registered the name Sublime to himself, and his estate got a federal injunction against his own bandmates

Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose at 28, two months before Sublime's major-label album came out. He had registered the trademark Sublime in his own name. His estate was run by his widow, Troy, his father, Jim, and his son, Jakob. In October 2009 bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh played as Sublime with singer Rome Ramirez. The estate said it supported the musicians but not their use of the name. On 21 October 2009 the estate filed a trademark suit, and on 3 November 2009 US District Judge A. Howard Matz granted a preliminary injunction ordering Wilson, Gaugh and Ramirez to stop performing as Sublime. The estate had to post a $125,000 bond in case the band later proved damages. In January 2010 the case settled, and the band toured as Sublime with Rome. That band ended in 2024. In December 2023 Wilson and Gaugh first performed with Jakob Nowell, then 28, as singer, and in April 2024 they played Coachella under the original name. In 2026 Sublime performs with Bradley Nowell's son as frontman.