Yoko Ono Sues Recording Artist Named Lennon

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has filed a lawsuit against one Lennon Murphy, a who goes by the nom de rock Lennon, asking that she cease using the name, according to Murphy. Ono apparently says Murphy is causing confusion in the marketplace that's damaging John Lennon's reputation.

(Update: Yoko Ono has responded.)

A note on Murphy's site says the suit was filed just two days before the statute of limitations ran out, by Ono's lawyer, who is the father of Murphy's former product manager at Arista Records. Murphy claims Ono agreed, through that connection, to Murphy's use of the name "Lennon" in the year 2000:

"In 2000 Arista Records addressed the issue of Yoko Ono potentially having a problem with our use of the name.

"My product manager [ed. note: artists used to have product managers?] at Arista was ironically the son of the lawyer whoactually represents Yoko. So he approached Yoko to make her aware ofthe use, evidently giving her blessing as Arista proceeded forward withthe album release, and, at the same time, filing for the trademark. Itstakes time for all of the legal work to go through, but finally, in 2003
I was granted by the United States Patent & Trademark office theownership in the name Lennon for musical use.

"Eight long, hard years pass and no one says a word. Justtwo days before the statute of limitations was up this very same lawyerwe went to in 2000 filed their complaint...

"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 mewith John Lennon and accidentally buying my records, I should [sic] have morethan enough money to live my life and hire a lawyer? I wish that (were)
the case..."

I just listened to a track on her MySpace page
called "Property of Goat Fker," and there's no wayanyone who listened to her music could possibly confuse it with that of JohnLennon.

On the other hand, Lennon Murphy's claim that the suit about Yoko Ono having "nothing better to do than fuckwith [Murphy's] life" is way off the mark. A judge could rule that her use of the name dilutes the John Lennon brand, so to speak, which is something Yoko probably wants to solidify at this stage in her life.

At least Lennon is getting some publicityfrom the controversy; her note also says she hasn't worked sinceOctober.

Regardless of Ono's suit, Lennon wants to keep using her name:

"I have no respect for the name Murphy. It was my father's name we willleave it at that. I have represented myself as Lennon because this ismy name. That was the name that meant so much to my mother."