Joey Ramone’s brother sues Johnny Ramone’s widow for “exploiting” Ramones’ legacy
nme.comRamones‘ legacy.The New York punk band’s intellectual property is owned in equal parts by two heirs – Hyman (better known as Mickey Leigh) and Cummings-Ramone – following the deaths of its four members.The pair famously don’t get along with each other, and in a new lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court last Friday (August 23), Leigh’s lawyers accuse Cummings-Ramone of violating federal trademark law by pursuing an “unrelenting quest” to associate herself with the Ramones.In the suit, Cummings-Ramone is described as a former “groupie” who has an “insatiable personal desire to shine a spotlight on herself”.It reads: “Ms.
Cummings-Ramone has made and continues to make blatant attempts to exploit and personally capitalise on and benefit from the name, goodwill and legacy of the Ramones – that is, to try to push the false narrative that she is the heiress to… the Ramones’ legacy.“She most certainly is not.
She is nothing more than a blatant self-promoter and an infringer.”The case takes issue with Cummings-Ramone’s use of the name ‘Linda Ramone’ – despite ‘Ramone’ not having been the legal surname of her late husband, nor any other member of the Ramones.Joey Ramone (real name Jeffrey Ross Hyman) and Johnny Ramone (John William Cummings) were not actually brothers.
Since the two died – in 2001 and 2004, respectively – Leigh and Cummings-Ramone have been embroiled in an ongoing feud.In the new lawsuit, Leigh’s lawyers said: “Ramones are unique in many ways.
Read more on nme.com