Years of disputes over control of the legacy of the Ramones escalated this month when the brother of Joey Ramone sued the widow of Johnny Ramone, accusing her of trademark infringement, trademark dilution and breach of contract.
Joey Ramone’s brother, Mickey Leigh, and Johnny Ramone’s widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, each control 50 percent of Ramones Productions, the company that holds the punk band’s intellectual property rights. Joey Ramone, its lead vocalist, died in 2001, and Johnny Ramone, the guitarist, in 2004.
In the lawsuit, Mickey Leigh, whose legal name is Mitchel Hyman, accuses Ms. Cummings-Ramone of improperly exploiting the band’s legacy — often in sharply personal terms — and leveraging its intellectual property “for her own fame and vanity.”
Ms. Cummings-Ramone had sued Mr. Hyman in January, accusing him of wrongfully developing a Ramones biopic without her approval. That case is pending.
Alan Fisch, a veteran intellectual properties litigator, said Ms. Cummings-Ramone’s ownership stake in Ramones Productions did not necessarily grant her control over its intellectual assets.
“Just because she owns half of the business doesn’t mean she has an unfettered right to use its intellectual property,” he said. “That each of the two shareholders have different views is part of the challenge that they’ve created for themselves in being 50 percent owners.”
The rivalry between Mr. Hyman and Ms. Cummings-Ramone in some ways mirrors the famously chilly relationship between Joey and Johnny Ramone. Before she began dating Johnny Ramone, Ms. Cummings-Ramone, a philanthropist and model, was in a multiyear relationship with Joey Ramone.
Mr. Hyman and Ms. Cummings-Ramone’s clash reached an inflection point in 2018, when he took her to arbitration over the usage of Ramones trademarks in an annual tribute event for Johnny Ramone. Mr. Hyman also objected to Ms. Cummings-Ramone’s adoption of the name “Linda Ramone,” which he said falsely portrayed her as the “keeper of the legacy” of the group. (The last name “Ramone” was a pseudonym and not the legal name of any member of the band.)
A representative for Ms. Cummings-Ramone did not respond to a request for comment. Karen Winner, a consultant for Mr. Hyman, said in a statement that Ms. Cummings-Ramone’s decision to use the name had long confused fans.
“Unfortunately she has expanded her use of the name, which is problematic not only for Joey Ramone and Ramones, but for their fans,” Ms. Winner said.
When the arbitrator ruled on the disputes between the Ramone relatives, he expressed frustration with their frequent battles.
“Mickey Hyman and Linda Cummings-Ramone have an almost sacred mission to be the caretakers for the band’s creative work, to protect their iconic brand and to educate new fans in order to grow their legend,” he wrote. “Instead, the parties have allowed their personal egos and their animus for one another to interfere with their joint obligations.”
Read More: Dueling Ramones Heirs Fight Over the Punk Band’s Legacy
