Ozzy Sues TONY IOMMI

[Holymagica]

According to the New York Post, Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against his BLACK SABBATH bandmate Tony Iommi, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Osbourne is suing Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.
The Manhattan federal court suit also charges that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.
Ozzy's suit follows one filed by Iommi in December 2008 against Live Nation. In that filing, Iommi claims the concert giant sold merchandise bearing the band's logo, despite the 2006 expiration of a merchandising deal, reportedly worth nearly $80 million. Soon after that agreement concluded, Iommi reclaimed the band's trademark.

Iommi's suit argues Live Nation continued to sell more than 100 items of merchandise featuring the band's likeness, name and logo, despite the receipt of cease-and-desist orders from the guitarist's camp. Iommi's suit seeks damages in the amount of three times the profits from the merchandise sales, plus a halt to the BLACK SABBATH product sales.
Iommi and Geezer Butler have both said some less than kind things about working with Osbourne in a new interview with Decibel magazine. The pair recently completed a new studio album as HEAVEN & HELL, the post-Ozzy version of SABBATH featuring vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and Butler said that working with Dio was much easier than Osbourne. He explained, "Ronnie's a songwriter in his own right — he's got tons of ideas. Whereas Ozzy . . . in the old days, he'd come up with a vocal line and I'd write the lyrics. Ronnie is 100 percent involved in both the musical side and the vocal side, and he writes his own lyrics as well."
Butler added that Osbourne didn't take him seriously as a songwriter, saying, "If we were with Ozzy and I came in with the killer riff of all time, Ozzy wouldn't even think of doing it because I'm not the guitarist and that's the way he thinks . . . That's why it was so bloody hard to write anything."
Butler said about HEAVEN & HELL's debut CD, "The Devil You Know", "If we'd written this album with Ozzy, we'd still be working on the first track."
Iommi added that there was a sharp difference between the singers live as well, saying, "It was great being with Ozzy on the road . . . but with Ronnie it's a lot different, because we go out and we know exactly what we're gonna be doing. With Ozzy, we didn't really know. It was touch and go sometimes on some of those early shows, whether he was gonna turn up, if he'd be able to sing, if his voice was gone, or what. We'd have to cancel shows, which Geezer and myself really hated. But with Ronnie, we've never canceled a show."


Smells of $haron if you ask me....and not Ozzy.

[Bobby66]

...Ozzy is totally bewitched by Sharon obviously...You DONT sue your Mates Ozzy!...you sit down at the table like a Man & work it out...(leave the twat at home)...Your acting like a f**King PUNK Ozzy...& I believe that as much as I love ya, I am losing the very last bit of respect that I have left for you!...
_________________
...As long as it's NOT about love...

[Holymagica]

I love it when Americans use the word twat!

[TD Fan Tam]

I think Ozzy is a proxy for Sharon.

Do we really need more Axl Rose type negativity and posturing?

I hope that the Dio camp stays reserved on this. Obviously Ozzy is using timing to his advantage by ruining the H&H vibe.

What a swine.
_________________

[shiva]

Yeah, really reeks of Sharon.

Good thing the band name is now heaven and hell isn't it?

[Rhonda Ross]

[berserkur]

Why 50%? Why not 25% since he was 1/4 of the band... Ozzy would'nt have been nothing without the other guys... and a probably vice versa.. Ozzy had a unique voice so one might ask oneself if the guys would have succeded equally without him...

Well it's all very complex these financial matters and Oz is rich enough.. so why bother? Just to piss the Iommi and Geez off because they said negative things about his performance? My guess!

[DevinMacGregor]

I just got this emailed to me from ozzy.com

OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE

Below is my official press statement on the official Black Sabbath trademark lawsuit. I am very saddened that I've had to take legal action against Tony. This is something that I've tried to avoid for years. I am not Geezer or Bill's voice. However, till the day I die I will not change my mind on this issue. The Black Sabbath trademark should be equally owned by Geezer, Bill, Tony and I as the true Black Sabbath lineup is Tony, Geezer, Bill and I. We've all been mates since school. I've always said there is an invisible thread that holds us together. Tony, lets get this ridiculous issue sorted and move on with our lives. You're 61, I'm 60. I hope that we've got a good 20 years left in us. But if not, God forbid something happens to you. What's going to happen to the Black Sabbath trademark? Who's going to oversee it? Don't you think after we're long gone the rights should stay in your family, my family, Bill's family and Geezer's family?

Statement from OZZY OSBOURNE:

"It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long term partner, Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse. As of the mid-1990's, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of 'Black Sabbath' was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name Black Sabbath) was reduced to performing in clubs. Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath' which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the 'Black Sabbath' brand through OZZFEST, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name 'Black Sabbath' now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour. Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60's now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing."


Devin: What makes him an asshat is why does he not do the same thing for his solo band? Why did he fuck them over? This is not about what is right for the band. Ozzy has sat and done nothing since 1997 with Sabbath. Where is this NEW Sabbath Ozzy material?

Maybe this is more of the true reason why they chose to use Heaven and Hell because everything they do under that name they can get paid for and not have Ozzy rape them for 50% of things he never contributed on. They have been touring for 3 years now as Heaven and Hell. The reunion with Ozzy was 10 years ago so why now? Just coincidence. I wish people would stop putting all this on Sharon shoulders as if Ozzy has no say. Perhaps Iommi and camp should reissue the other albums as Heaven and Hell albums before this lawsuit goes through.

Ozzy I believe is a narcissist.
_________________
Smacks & Manly Thumps,

The Cap'n

Sons of Griogair


http://www.atheists.org
http://www.clangregor.org/famous.htm
http://www.merchco-online.com/metalbladerecords/
'S Rioghal Mo Dhream

[Bobby66]

...I dont believe Ozzy is narcissistic Devin...No inflated sense of self importance there...Ozzy has always struck me as humble...Sharon just has him by the Balls...Pussywhipped is the correct terminology I would think...
_________________
...As long as it's NOT about love...

[DevinMacGregor]

[PureEvel]

They sent out the statement on myspace too, heres my reply:

Jezus ******* christ, what are we supposed to say, - oh yea, Ozzys suing Tony, good for him - ? Hell no, see the thing is Black Sabbath is a group, it consists of 4 people, you left that group and in my eyes the only thing you have rights to would be the stuff you actually did while with them. Sure you should get your royalties from Paranoid etc, I wouldn't deny you that but are you saying that you own the right to the name Black Sabbath when other vocalists were in the drivers seat? You think you own the rights to Dio's stuff - sorry Ozman but hell no!

Tony has worked that Sabbath name through the years, he didn't walk away from it like you did. He stuck with it through many changes and he didn't jump ship and you say he doesn't deserve it???? The man has put his soul into it! You "souled" out!

And don't you think you're being a bit greedy? How much money does one guy need anyway?? As much as Sharon tells you I guess, right? Jezuz man, how many successful albums have you had solo? Is that not enough??? God I'd like to see you out here in the real world, working 40 hrs a week at $10/hr! You couldn't do it, and I guarantee there'd be no one around like Sharon to help you either. You'd be one of those whiny bitches screaming on the streets about how you're going to sue the gub'ment.

Ozzy, you were my first Metal Idol, my introduction to metal and I will always love your music but I just lost the last shred of respect I ever had for you as a person. First it was selling out to reality TV, then you called your poor fans thieves if they downloaded your music instead of buying it, then the fukin nordstroms thing, now this? Your a sellout, you've become a parody of yourself.

There was a long period where I didn't even buy your stuff, then came Black Rain, and I'll tell you it's the best you've done in years, sounds a lot like your older stuff. I wonder though how much of that is studio magic, how's it going to sound live Ozzy? I saw Tony twice last year and he still sounds as good live as he does studio.

There is one thing I have to thank you for though, I first liked Ozzy, that got me listening to older Sabbath, and then one day I heard a Sabbath song and said - That's not Ozzy! - It wasn't It was DIO! Now theres a vocalist! The mans old enough for SS but he's out there sounding as good as ever! Your a showman no doubt but as far as a true vocalist Dio is the real deal. I did appreciate each of you for what you were and still do but the Ozzy I knew and grew up with isn't here anymore, he died many years back, another rock n roll tragedy

[Holymagica]

Remember when Roger Waters left Pink Floyd.
He said that the band was “a spent force”. Despite an acrimonious legal tussle with Waters over the use of the band’s name, Gilmour and Mason continued (with Gilmour now the band’s undisputed leader), eventually winning the right to continue performing and recording as Pink Floyd in and out of court settlement.

I don't think Ozzy can win.
Iommi and Butler will win the right to use the name.

[jerryskid1]

That does it "Heaven and Hell" needs to change the name back to Black Sabbath.

[jerryskid1]

[Rhonda Ross]