Susan, it had nothing to do with Dave buying the KT name instead of Bob. It wasn't for sale in 1961.

In 1961, when Dave was in the process of leaving, he filed an action with the musicians' union to be declared to have the sole right to use the KT name. He based his claim on Trio publicity that called him the group's "acknowledged leader" and the fact that he had organized the Kingston Quartet before forming the Trio.

Note: Dave sought the right to exclusive right to the KT name, not ownership of that name. They're different.

Frankly, Dave's petition to the musicians' union sounds like a desperate Hail Mary play. I think Dave's angle was this: if the musicians' union decided he had the exclusive right to use the KT name, other unions would honor that decision. That would cause problems for Bob, Nick and Dave's replacement if they tried to perform as the Trio in any venue with a union presence, like possibly radio stations, TV stations, some concert venues and maybe even at Capitol. (I have no idea how many of these places were unionized).

In any event, it's all academic because the union either rejected Dave's claim or Dave withdrew his petition before the union decided it. It's just a weird and interesting sidelight in the saga of Dave's departure and possibly one of the reasons for the lingering animosity between Shane and Dave.