Actually, Paul was sued in 2007 for using the Jefferson Starship name for a Microsfot Commercial by Bill Thompson (the manager of the old band) so at least one person involved previously didn't think it was the same band.  Also, the Jeff Tamarkin book, about the only definitive book about all the Airplane / Starship incarnations published so far, does not consider the 1992 incarnation as the same band.