Will.i.am is not suing Pharrell Williams, his lawyer has said. Instead, their dispute over the use of the phrase "I am" for commercial purposes "is a run-of-the-mill trademark dispute that has been going on since late last year".

Rolling Stone had reported that the Black Eyed Peas frontman and producer was taking legal action against Williams, demanding he withdraw his new brand i am OTHER, on the grounds he owned the copyright to the phrase and that Williams's logo was "confusingly similar". The magazine reported it had seen court documents, in which it was asserted: "The registration of the mark … is likely to dilute the I AM mark and the Will.i.am mark."

In reponse, Williams told Rolling Stone: "I am disappointed that Will, a fellow artist, would file a case against me. I am someone who likes to talk things out and, in fact, I attempted to do just that on many occasions. I am surprised in how this is being handled and I am confident that Will's trademark claims will ultimately be found to be as meritless and ridiculous as I do."

However, Will.i.am's lawyer Ken Hertz has now denied there is going to be a courtroom showdown. "Will.i.am is not suing Pharrell Williams," he told Radio 1's Newsbeat. "What Will.i.am has done is what any trademark owner must do to protect and maintain a trademark. This is a run-of-the-mill trademark dispute that has been going on since late last year.

"In order to avoid weakening or losing his trademark, Will.i.am has an obligation under trademark law to monitor and defend his trademarks against confusingly similar marks. Will.i.am has registered several trademarks, including 'I AM', which is also emphasised in, and a significant element of, his professional name.

"We think their proposed trademark is too close to our registered and common law trademarks. They disagree.

"We hope to work out a sensible compromise that will allow both parties to move forward without unnecessary acrimony."

i am OTHER started as a YouTube channel, launched last year. Williams's brand is now described as "a creative venture and way of life", spanning "music, film, television, apparel, tech and multimedia". He has applied for a slew of US trademarks, covering i am OTHER jewellery, i am OTHER luggage, i am OTHER makeup, i am OTHER earmuffs, i am OTHER music, i am OTHER temporary tattoos, and even i am OTHER "hat ornaments of precious metal".