Iommi Vs Ozzy Lawsuit Heading To Court
Former bandmates to lock horns in US legal system
The battle of Black Sabbath members looks set to head to the courts after a US judge ruled that Ozzy’s lawsuit was valid.
The New York Post reports that Ozzy Osbourne’s lawsuit against Tony Iommi will see both parties in court, with a judge ruling that there was merit in Ozzy’s claim.
Ozzy is suing Iommi for a 50 percent share in the name, after the guitarist is alleged to have tried to take sole ownership by filing it with the US Patent And Trademark Office last year.
Tony’s lawyer Andrew DeVore argued that Osbourne signed away all his rights to the Black Sabbath trademark after he quit the band in 1979, while Osbourne's lawyer, Howard Shire, called that agreement a "red herring" that was "repudiated" when the singer rejoined in 1997 and took over "quality control" of the band's merchandise, tours and recordings.
However Judge John Koeltl urged both parties to resume talks with each other ahead of the court date.
It looks like this one will sadly turn ugly unless one of the former bandmates backs down.