OZZY OSBOURNE Sues TONY IOMMI Over Ownership Of BLACK SABBATH Name

[Mr. Vengeance]

This is Sharon's fucking greed. The same fucking greed that keeps Ozzy making albums and on the road, despite the fact that he's DONE and making a laughing stock out of himself.

It seems to me that Ozzy agreed to do the last Sabbath reunion tour on the condition that Tony retire the Sabbath name. Tony has done that. They called the Dio reunion H&H.

What's Ozzy's beef? I guarantee you he has none. It's that cunt looking for more $$$$$$

[katie]

OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE

MAY 29, 2009, 9:12 pm
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.”

Link - Ozzy Osbourne OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE | The Official Ozzy Osbourne Site

[katie]

If Ozzy pulls this off,

Would David Lee Roth have the balls to do the same to VH?

[FORD]

If Ozzy pulls this off,

Would David Lee Roth have the balls to do the same to VH?

It would be harder for Dave to make his case, because it happens to be Eddie & Alex's last name. Actually Wolfie's too, but he's not an original band member so that's beside the point.

Long term fans know that it was actually Dave who named the band "Van Halen" in the first place, but I have my doubts a court would see it that way.

Ironically, if Eddie had his way, the band would have been called "Rat Salade" and Ozzy/Sharon would probably be suing them too.

[Coyote]

OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE

MAY 29, 2009, 9:12 pm
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.”

Link - Ozzy Osbourne OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE | The Official Ozzy Osbourne Site

Jesus Christ, this has Sharon's cuntprint all over it...

[yah]

This just reeks of "more,more,more" for the Osbourne/Arden clan.....super sickening.
I guess Greed is still paramount for some of the "Rock Royalty"

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Judge: "Well Mr. Osbourne, perhaps if you didn't get your collective asses blown off the stage every night by Van Halen in 1978, you wouldn't need to sue Mr. Iommi."

[Seshmeister]

Long term fans know that it was actually Dave who named the band "Van Halen" in the first place, but I have my doubts a court would see it that way.

Roth was asked if he regretted that quite recently, I think on his radio show and said no way.

I didn't believe him for a second...

[78/84 guy]

His cunt wife needs more money too spend !!!

[Terry]

$


Plain and simple.

The lawyers will see the majority of what comes from this...

Ain't that the truth?

[Terry]

Money aside, what's the point in suing now?

If Ozzy was so concerned about the Black Sabbath name being tarnished due to continual lineup changes post-1978, why did he wait until now to bring suit, as opposed to, say, 20 years ago, when Iommi was the only founding member left in the band?

Iommi, Butler, Dio and Vinnie are on the road as Heaven and Hell...nobody is technically even using the name Black Sabbath in terms of contemporary musical endeavours, so what is all the fuss about? The allocation of percentages on the residuals and future album/merchandising sales?

[GAR]

If Ozzy pulls this off,

Would David Lee Roth have the balls to do the same to VH?

NO, this is a different realm.

Dave's got lawyers from here to San Diego, and waited almost 30 years.

But Ozzy's got his wife trying to pull a Don Arden here much to the detriment of the socalled "brand name."

And even if it's not this way, it appears this way because Don shook down all kinds of young Brit groups, regularly.

If she can't get her way in court, maybe she will bring her staff to throw eggs at the next Heaven and Hell showdate. That will teach Tony, pitch an egg atcha boy..

[thome]

This is Sharon's fucking greed. The same fucking greed that keeps Ozzy making albums and on the road, despite the fact that he's DONE and making a laughing stock out of himself.

It seems to me that Ozzy agreed to do the last Sabbath reunion tour on the condition that Tony retire the Sabbath name. Tony has done that. They called the Dio reunion H&H.

What's Ozzy's beef? I guarantee you he has none. It's that cunt looking for more $$$$$$

Ozzy needs to sakk up before Sharon points him towards the stage and sais your a variety show/actor television host now...what!!

Oop's too late......

He loves the woman, but she, I believe has kept him high too long.

You can call the majic those 4 dudes made Sabbath but you cannot name or trademark what it is or was...

[bueno bob]

Well, well, well...it's the 1980's all over again, isn't it?

Tony Iommi, since 1979, has purchased the rights to the name BLACK SABBATH from all other four of the members. But only once it became pretty apparent that they no longer wanted anything to do with the band or had any particular vested interest in it (and if I remember correctly, the last person he secured the rights to the name from was Geezer in 1985 after the whole Live Aid thing, I may be wrong on that, but if memory serves, Iommi was the sole controller of all things Black Sabbath in 1985).

That means that yes, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill legally acknowledged that they had no continued interest in the name Black Sabbath and accepted a cash buyout of any and all rights regarding the name. Which, I'm sure, none of them had any real problem with considering where Black Sabbath's "fortunes" were at circa 1985-1986.

Now, legally, that's a pretty open and shut sort of arrangement right there, unless there's some fine print hidden somewhere that states something to the contrary. Nobody I know has actually seen any of the arrangements per se, but I wouldn't think there'd be a clause like that. Wouldn't make sense otherwise.

Taking it all a step further, we have to examine that fact that, after the management change and label change in 1988, Tony Iommi essentially funded Black Sabbath himself out of his own pocket (IRS wasn't exactly a powerhouse label and a great deal of keeping Black Sabbath alive financially was realistically up to him). During this time, Ozzy Osbourne was VERY vocal about how "Black Sabbath is a joke", "Tony always wanted Black Sabbath all to himself and he's welcome to it", "I don't want anything at all to do with Black Sabbath", "My solo career is far more successful than anything Black Sabbath's ever done without me", etc. I could show you a million instances where he ran his mouth in the press about Tony and Sabbath and how worthless they were without him (which, apparently, hasn't changed much).

So, we got the whole Dehumanizer thing, which showed Sabbath at more American success than what they'd had since '83. Not much, but it proved that there was still some viability in the brand name. Costa Mesa 1993 happened, the whole Dio implosion happened, and then everybody sat around waiting for Ozzy and Sabbath to get back together. Well, for whatever reasons, this didn't go down - Tony and Geezer kept on with Sabbath, Ozzy wished them "all the best" and his 'retirement' didn't quite pan out the way he said it was going to, this we all know.

Well, Geezer left Sabbath again after an argument with Tony while on the Cross Purposes tour and the next thing you know, there he is with Ozzy for the recording of Ozzmosis. Ozzy was quoted as saying "Well, look at Tony Iommi, still continuing on with Black Sabbath. I was an original member of Black Sabbath and so was Geezer, so when you get right down to it, Geezer, Zakk and I could call ourselves Black Sabbath because, well, we're two members and he's only one." Direct quote out of Metal Edge, I think it was.

It was a silly thing to say at that point, and it's even sillier to say it now. No legal basis whatsoever. Ozzy originally said it because he was selfish of the Black Sabbath name. Looks like he still is.

Here's the thing of it, really...when Ronnie came back into the fold and "The Dio Years" happened, they recorded three news songs AS Black Sabbath for the compilation. But, in the light of the RNRHOF induction (and beings as the Ozzy/Tony/Geezer/Bill lineup was the only one inducted), Tony, Geezer and Ron decided that, rather than get into a huge feud with camp Ozzy over the name Black Sabbath (in the mindset that a Ozzy reunion full length Sabbath album may someday happen), they should go out with the name Heaven & Hell instead.

This, to me, shows a large degree of congeniality towards camp Ozzy (which is really Sharon and her lawyers, let's face it). Ozzy was always very adamant in the press that Sabbath without Ozzy wasn't Sabbath and whatever, so I actually considered that a pretty sociable thing for the three of them to do in deference to Ozzy. Ronnie stated that, no matter what they called the band, people were still going to think of them as Black Sabbath - that much is correct. The Heaven & Hell lineup recorded three albums and three new songs AS Black Sabbath, so there's not really any room to mistake it. Especially among fans who were going to identify with them, and let's face it - those would be Sabbath fans, probably not anybody new to them at this stage in the game.

It seems to me that, based on all of this, Tony has been pretty God damned considerate towards Ozzy and classic Sabbath's legacy.

But this is where it gets interesting - Heaven & Hell debut at #8, their live performances are good, reviews for them mostly rave, Radio City Music Hall Live was very warmly received. And all of a sudden Ozzy (and by Ozzy, I mostly mean Sharon) has a problem with it. Go figure.

This is, remember, the same Ozzy Osbourne who said in 1980 that "Ronnie James Dio should wear a bulletproof vest if he plans on singing any of my material on stage". The same Ozzy Osbourne who said Black Sabbath "would be nothing without him". The same Ozzy Osbourne who called them "Geezer and the Three Wops" a year later. The same Ozzy Osbourne that had a midget cutout on stage named "Ronnie".

And, lo and behold, for all of Ozzy's shit talking, Black Sabbath had a huge return to favor with Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules and Live Evil albums. Their best received albums since Sabotage, in fact.

AGAIN, they're successful without Ozzy Osbourne, and AGAIN, Ozzy Osbourne can't fucking stand it.

Now, a lot of pro-Ozzy people have argued that he's entitled to his cut of the Sabbath material that he's on, and that I absolutely don't deny, regardless of whether or not he actually contributed anything beyond his voice to them. His name is on the albums as songwriter and he should be compensated for his imagery on merchandising and whatnot.

That's not what he's asking for. What he's asking for is the NAME and the royalties that go with it. 50% of all Ozzy related Black Sabbath proceeds and a portion of ANYTHING involving the name Black Sabbath.

His legal argument for this? In print?

"Well, Black Sabbath sucked without me! I'm therefore entitled!"

So let me ask a simple question that we can all relate to - should Sammy Hagar be compensated for Van Halen proceeds from 1978 to 1984 because "Sammy Hagar's distinctive voice was the critical element to Van Halen's success in the 1980's"? Should he receive proceeds from ALL Van Halen eras because he was involved with them and "They sucked without him"?

This is Ozzy's entire legal argument here. "Black Sabbath's brand name wasn't viable without Ozzy Osbourne!" Which is a funny to make, because I see a Black Sabbath that continued on without Ozzy Osbourne (in varying degrees of success) from 1980 to 1993, and again from 1994 to 1997, and again from 2006 and since.

I don't know of any legal precedent that demands that a band meet a particular level of cash flow or concert attendance or album sales to be considered "relevant". I'll tell you this, though, Black Sabbath at it's absolute NADIR was FAR, FAR better off and ridiculously more successful than I've ever been in any of my bands.

So what does it boil down to? Does Ozzy actually feel this adamantly about this?

...or do you think maybe Sharon Osbourne has something to do with it, hmm? Think about that.

Frankly, I have very little doubt that two things are going to happen: 1) the lawyers are going to reap a huge fucking payday from this and 2) Iommi will eventually win it. What's left at that point will be negligible, but perhaps breaking the Heaven & Hell bank in light of their recent successes are what Ozzy and Sharon are really after, just as a way of saying "Fuck you" to Tony, Geezer and Ronnie. Don't know, but I certainly wouldn't put it past them.

I think, though, once Tony wins this case, he should go to Rhino and immediately take the Heaven & Hell albums (Radio City and The Devil You Know) out of print and re-release them under the name BLACK SABBATH as a fuck you right back to Ozzy and Sharon for this shit. Actually, he should do that NOW as a way of asserting that he DOES in fact own the name and can do whatever the fuck he wants with it - and Ozzy has no fucking say in the matter.

Depending on how far Tony wants to go with it, take the Ozzy catalog out of print, go back into the studio and re-record the eight Ozzy albums with Dio singing. Seriously. And then the press release could say, oh, something to the effect of "We took a negative situation and turned it into a positive one!".

Hell, it'd certainly be a nice step for Bob, Lee and Randy's mom...

[FORD]

Dunno about that last part. I really don't think I want to hear Dio singing "Changes" or "Planet Caravan".