Mike Love received exclusive legal rights to tour under the Beach Boys name.
After Carl Wilson’s death in 1998, Mike Love continued touring with Bruce Johnston and a supporting band. In a boardroom settlement involving Brother Records, the Beach Boys’ company, Love leased exclusive rights to tour using the name “The Beach Boys.” This arrangement made him the member authorized to present a touring act under the group’s original name.
The rights dispute became especially visible when Al Jardine performed under related banners such as “Beach Boys Family & Friends,” “Al Jardine, Beach Boy,” and “Al Jardine of the Beach Boys.” Love sued to stop Jardine from using the name, and the initial court ruling favored Love. Jardine appealed, and a later California Court of Appeal decision criticized Love’s conduct in excluding Jardine from touring under the name.
The question concerns touring rights, not songwriting, vocal leadership, or sole ownership of the band’s entire history. Bruce Johnston remained a longtime touring member, while Brian Wilson was the group’s principal creative leader and producer during its classic period.