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Edit: SG Lennon is Being Sued by Yoko Ono???

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12 2008 5:00 PM

Submitted by Fatality. Edited By Fatality.

TAGS: SG, Suicide Girl, Lawsuit, Yoko Ono

On February 12th, I wrote the following news story:

"I’ve never been a big fan of Yoko Ono. Though had you previously asked me to justify this opinion, I would have been at a loss. It was a view bequeathed to me by my father and his frequent voicing of what bitch he thought she was. But now I’ve been given some concrete evidence: she is suing Lennon.

Yes, she is suing Lennon, Lennon Murphy, the SG model and musician. Lennon is her real name, but Yoko Ono seems to think that the performer is “intentionally exploiting the name and confusing people by using it.” Lennon was, in fact, named after John Lennon and has been performing with that name since the age of 14.

Lennon is my first name by birth and I am regularly asked if I was named after the Beatle, having always replied no. My mother named me after "John Lennon that wrote songs, painted, and baked bread with his son". She named me for the man, not the pop star.



Lennon claims that Yoko Ono has been aware of her name and its usage since 2000, when a lawyer at Arista Records presented the widow with the information. In 2003, Lennon trademarked the name with the United States Patent and Trademark office, and everything seemed to be copasetic. Fast-forward to now – two days before the statute of limitations on the trademark was to expire – the same lawyer has brought forward a suit against Lennon Murphy for use of the name. She is being accused of misleadingly representing herself, causing confusing in the marketplace, and tarnishing John Lennon’s name.

Lennon has posted an open letter on her website and Myspace page, from which the following is an excerpt:

I'm not sure what confusion I could be causing since I don't have the $50,000 to hire a lawyer and fight this. If people were confusing me with John Lennon and accidently buying my records I should have more than enough money to live my life and hire a lawyer? I wish that was the case. I haven't worked since Oct. 2007, so I live on just enough to get through the months until I get back on the road. I have no idea what I'm going to do yet in this situation, and I'm stressed, angry, and scared.

This is my life. I have no respect for the name Murphy. It was my father's name we will leave it at that. I have represented myself as Lennon because this is my name. That was the name that meant so much to my mother. That's who I am. I'm pissed and hurt that someone in Yoko's position has nothing better to do than fuck with my life, and collect the $25,000,000 a year that the John Lennon estate brings in. Yes, this is a real number or close enough to it. This is how I look at it. With that kind of income she probably pays more in taxes every year the you or I will make in our whole life time. So what do I have that can be of such value to her after 8 years. I don't want to lose my name all because someone is bored in their life of luxury.

I don't know what's going to be the outcome, but I just wanted everyone to know what is going on. I never falsified my intentions, I never used John Lennon for my benefit, and I never took one cent out of Yoko's bank account. I play music, my name is Lennon, and the most heartbreaking thing out of this whole situation is the insult it gives to my late mother and who she believed in; on top of demeaning the man that John Lennon was and will always be.



And I agree. So here’s to supporting Lennon, a fellow Suicide Girl, against the incomprehensible greed of Yoko Ono. Yoko Ono, the woman whose February 2007 remix album is entitled Yes, I’m a Witch.

And, for the record, we're not alone - even Julian Lennon has voiced his support.




Fatality is just glad that Lennon is the SG and not Yoko Ono. *shudder*"

Since then, however, forthcoming information has necessitated a reworking of that story. On February 14, a reaction letter from Yoko Ono was distributed. In this letter, Yoko claims that the previous claims of a suit against Lennon Murphy are untrue.

A musician named Lennon Murphy is claiming that Yoko Ono has sued her and that Yoko is seeking to stop Lennon Murphy from performing under her name, Lennon Murphy. Both of these claims are untrue.

Several years ago, Lennon Murphy sought Yoko's permission to do her performances under her name, Lennon Murphy. Yoko, of course, did not object to her request. Subsequently, without Yoko's knowledge, Lennon Murphy filed an application in the United States trademark Office requesting the exclusive right to utilize the name "Lennon" for musical performances. Yoko's attorneys asked Lennon Murphy's attorneys and manager to withdraw her registration of exclusivity to the name LENNON for the trademark. Yoko also offered to cover all costs Lennon Murphy had incurred in filing for the trademark. But Lennon Murphy went ahead to register.

Yoko did not sue Lennon Murphy, but sought to stop her from getting the exclusive right to the name Lennon for performance purposes. For that, Yoko's attorneys, simply notified the Trademark office that Yoko did not believe it was fair that Ms. Murphy be granted the exclusive right to the "Lennon" trademark in relation to musical and entertainment services. As you can see, this is a very important issue for Yoko and the Lennon family.

Yoko says: "I am really hurt if people thought that I told a young artist to not use her own name in her performances and had sought to sue her. I did no such thing. I hope this allegation will be cleared.



It will be interesting to see how this all pans out as the feverish frenzy from the previous reporting simmers down...we can disentangle the relative distribution between misunderstanding, publicity intents, poor journalism, fulfillment of expectations and desires, misapprehension of the law, and all of the other factors that can combine to create such a headline. The truth seems a bit obscured right now, but if any additional news or commentaries from the two women arise, I will be sure to further update the story.

Fatality has edited.

 

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FlipsideReport

FlipsideReport

USA
October 2007

FEB 12, 2008 09:54 PM

Tell Yoko Ono to get over herself.

LostLucy

LostLucy

USA
December 2006

FEB 12, 2008 10:14 PM

I never heard that Elvis Costello had trouble from Elvis Presley's estate... it is her given name, and that makes a big difference.

SO far from finding peace or Zen, Yoko Ono seems to have incorporated crazy.

ILIKEPOTATOES

ILIKEPOTATOES

Brooklyn, NY
November 2007

FEB 12, 2008 10:26 PM

Don't SG's get like 300 bucks for posing? What is she suing for? Hey, if Yoko's strapped for cash... *flip, flip flip*

unfiltrator

unfiltrator

San Francisco, CA
April 2004

FEB 12, 2008 10:34 PM

If anyone is tarnishing the name of John Lennon it's Yoko's lawyer. Duh! The bitch forgot what it was like to be young, poor, and magnificent and now she's just listens to dicks like her lawyer.

I don't know what she needs the money for. She's already dead inside and now the world knows it.

Minceir

Minceir

Australia
September 2004

FEB 12, 2008 10:39 PM

John lennon would be rolling in his grave. He would of been honoured to have someone named after him. Yoko Ono should stop listening to bad advice and leave Lennon alone. mad

ericwine

ericwine

Charlotte Hall, MD
January 2007

FEB 12, 2008 10:48 PM

Yoko Ono is batshit crazy. mad Hard to believe John would like this one bit.
Good article, Fatality.

DexterMorgan

DexterMorgan

Miami, FL
January 2008

FEB 12, 2008 10:52 PM

In a related story, Yoko Douchenozzle is suing Yoko Ono for "tarnishing" her good name.

Douchenozzle claims in court papers that Ono is "(intentionally) exploiting the name and confusing people by using it" -- and wants her trademark canceled.

ericwine

ericwine

Charlotte Hall, MD
January 2007

FEB 12, 2008 10:52 PM

Nixon said:
I hope this doesn't become a trend. Other wise Reagan and I shall have to leave the country...



Not to mention Clinton...

DexterMorgan

DexterMorgan

Miami, FL
January 2008

FEB 12, 2008 10:53 PM

Falstaff said:
Also, if Tricky Dick rises from his grave at Yorba Linda to demand the return of his name, I'd give it to him. He was pretty rough in life; I imagine zombie Nixon is not to be crossed.



Nixon's head in a jar is just as menacing.
zoom image

PantherNesmith

PantherNesmith

Gloucester, VA
June 2006

FEB 12, 2008 11:00 PM

And to think, I once defended her.

Seems like she's become pretty much everything John despised.

What a bitch.

Tallboy66

Tallboy66

USA
January 2005

FEB 12, 2008 11:14 PM

Karma said:
Note: Lennon will be on Howard Stern on Wed. February 13th.



I miss hearing him, and good luck.

Seasan

Seasan

HOPEFUL

Newark, DE

FEB 12, 2008 11:38 PM

are you fucken serious?

how pitiful is yoko? like seriously this bitch is crazy

JekyllAndHyde

JekyllAndHyde

Nottingham, MD
April 2005

FEB 13, 2008 12:12 AM

Good for Julian. Hang in there, Lennon.

As if we needed another example of how the promises of the '60s have failed spectacularly today....

Fixer

Fixer

Los Angeles, CA
October 2002

FEB 13, 2008 12:41 AM

it's unfortunate, but even your own name can't necessarily be accepted as a trademark if it's already been used. You can't open a restaurant under your name, Mr McDonald. You can't start a software company called Mike Rowe Soft, even of your name is Mike Rowe. and you probably can't start a band called Lennon, no matter your name. Maybe Arista fucked up in 2000, but it's not unheard of for a record company to have missed the boat on a few things...

None of this argues that Yoko isn't batshit crazy and an evil greedy bitch.

tapemonkey

tapemonkey

Raleigh, NC
December 2006

FEB 13, 2008 12:59 AM

I'm not a John Lennon fan, so I feel I'm totally impartial when I say...This is fucking stupid. Yoko Ono is a greedy succubus who really needs to learn to knit and leave the world alone.

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