Danzig Wants MISFITS Skulls
Glenn Danzig is suing Jerry Only over the rights to use the iconic MISFITS logo, the crimson ghost skull. Danzig claims that Jerry Only has cheated him out of royalties from the ridiculous line of MISFITS merchandising deals done so without his permission.
Danzig's lawsuit against Only was filed on the 3rd of April in a California district court. In it, Danzig accuses Only of misusing the Misfits' trademarks in 2000, re-registering the marks under his own name. This allegedly contradicts the band's own merchandising contract from 1994, where they agreed to share ownership of the group's trademarks.
Once Only controlled trademarks, he "secretly" negotiated merchandising deals with retailers such as Hot Topic, Danzig has said. It is alleged that Only withheld all of the ensuing profits and threatened to cancel any agreement if these retail partners contacted Danzig.
The current day Misfits led by Jerry Only seem to disagree and have released the statement below...
“In 1995, Misfits founding member Jerry Only secured the exclusive legal right to tour and record as the Misfits, and, in accordance with those legal rights, launched a licensing program through Cyclopian Music. At the same time, Glenn Anzalone—professionally known as Glenn Danzig (former co-founder and Misfits vocalist circa 1977 to 1983) —made clear that he wanted no public association with the Misfits or Cyclopian Music’s business endeavors.
Despite full knowledge of Cyclopian Music’s use of the Misfits’ name and logos for decades, Glenn Danzig curiously filed a lawsuit on April 3rd, 2014 seeking a portion of the proceeds from Cyclopian Music’s activities with which he has had no involvement whatsoever. Danzig’s lawsuit can only be described as a sour grapes tantrum based on outrageous allegations, the majority of which are completely false, while others are ill conceived and grossly misguided—and will be proven false in court. Reports of Glenn Danzig’s lawsuit and the falsehoods within it, however, have resulted in the dissemination of misinformation regarding the nature of Glenn Danzig’s baseless claims and Cyclopian Music’s rights.
For example, Jerry Only and Cyclopian are under no obligation, legal, contractual or otherwise, to obtain consent, or approvals of any kind, from former member Glenn Danzig in connection with their use of the Misfits name or logos. Apparently Danzig’s own product line doesn’t sell as well as he might like, but the fact of the matter remains that Jerry Only and Cyclopian Music’s Misfits licenses, business activity and merchandising endeavors are 100% lawful and consistent with their legal rights.
To be clear, Glenn Danzig has no legal right to, and no interest in, Cyclopian’s Misfits licenses or business ventures period. Danzig’s lawsuit is nothing more than a calculated attempt to unfairly and improperly enrich himself from revenue streams to which he is not entitled.”
First Black Flag, then the Misfits. Our money is on the Ramones next....