This is The Legal Beat, a weekly music law newsletter from Billboard Pro, bringing you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, landmark decisions and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: A long-running feud between the families of Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone has erupted into a new lawsuit over a proposed Netflix biopic. Madonna's team vows to “vigorously” fight a lawsuit over the late start of her concert. A man who stalks Taylor Swift is arrested three times before being put behind bars. and many more.
THE BIG STORY: Hey Ho, Let's Go… To Court
Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone – who weren't really brothers – didn't like each other much in life. And guess what? Their heirs don't like them much either.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Manhattan court, Johnny's widow, Linda Ramon, sued Joey's brother, Mickey Lee, over allegations that he had “secretly” created a planned Netflix movie starring Pete Davidson. Joey. He says any film based on the pioneering punk band demands their signature.
“To allow only the defendants to tell the authoritative story of the Ramones would be an injustice to the band and its legacy,” Linda's lawyers wrote.
The case is the latest in years of battles between Linda and Mickey, who split ownership of the Ramones IP 50-50. And it raises interesting legal questions about so-called lifetime rights agreements — and how they pose unique challenges in the context of music biographies.
To learn more, read our full story, with the full story, legal analysis and access to the actual court documents.
Other top stories this week…
LATE CONVERSATION – Madonna's management team and Live Nation have responded to a high-profile lawsuit alleging the music legend harmed her fans by starting concerts in New York later than scheduled, disputing some of the claims and saying they plan to “vigorously defend this case.” ».
TAYLOR'S STALKER TAKEN INTO JAIL – David Crowe, the man accused of stalking Taylor Swift outside her Manhattan home, has been ordered by a New York judge to remain in custody after being arrested for the third time, shortly after his first release from prison.
JAM MASTER JAY MURDER – Two men accused of killing Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, Karl Jordan, Jr. and Ronald Washington, finally went on trial this week, more than 21 years after the rap icon was murdered. Prosecutors say the two men killed Jay as payback after a failed cocaine deal. If convicted, they each face the possibility of life in prison.
JIMI HENDRIX ROYALTIES CASE – A London judge has ruled that the heirs of Jimi Hendrix's former bandmates can continue to sue Sony Music over the rights to three classic albums, paving the way for a trial next year to resolve the contentious lawsuit.
CONTINUITY MOVEMENT… A GLOCK? – Chicago rapper Lil Zay Osama has been charged with two federal counts of unlawful possession of firearms after he allegedly left a Glock automatic pistol in the back of an Uber after a ride in New York City.
50 CENT SUE OVER PRINTING MIC – The rapper was hit with a civil lawsuit over an incident last summer in which he was caught on video dropping a microphone at a concert, filed by a Los Angeles radio host, who says he was hit by the microphone and suffered “serious and permanent injuries .”
LEAKS FUGITIVE LAWYER – David Kenner, the lawyer who unsuccessfully represented Fugees rapper Pras Michel in his yearlong criminal trial, has pleaded guilty to a criminal contempt charge over allegations he leaked juror material to reporters before the trial. The lawyer was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and must pay a fine.
KAT VON N CLEARED – A jury has found that celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D did not violate a photographer's copyright when she used a portrait of Miles Davis as the basis for a tattoo she put on a friend's arm, closing a closely watched case LA Ink star.
