A dispute between the heirs to the Ramones‘ estates has culminated in a lawsuit, with one side accusing the other of effectively shutting down the company that controls the group’s intellectual property rights while unilaterally greenlighting a biopic of the rock band.
Linda Ramone, widow of Ramones’ guitarist Johnny Ramone, accuses Mitchel Hyman, lead singer Joey Ramone’s brother, of refusing to engage with the band’s record label, merchandising partners or business managers, preventing the company from conducting basic operational tasks while draining it of funds. The lawsuit also alleges Hyman is withholding dividends owed to Ramone “unless and until she accedes” to his “self-serving demands to make fundamental changes” at the company.
The complaint, filed in New York’s state Supreme Court on Jan. 19, states Hyman “covertly developed an unapproved and unauthorized Ramones-based biopic, used Ramones IP across their own personal social media accounts without permission, and disparaged and threatened Ms. Ramone and other band members online.”
Linda Ramone and Mitchel Hyman are the lone shareholders of Ramones Productions Inc, which controls the group’s intellectual property rights, with each owning half of the company’s shares. David Frey, director of the company, is also named in the complaint, which seeks to remove him and appoint a temporary receiver to “prevent the further waste and destruction of the company and its assets.”
The complaint details a long string of disputes between the two sides that has led to a corporate stalemate. In 2018, Hyman initiated an arbitration against Ramone, which led to the filling of counterclaims. It was decided that both parties must advise the other of any potential business dealings or opportunities within 48 hours, with each side engaging in monthly mediation sessions. According to the suit, one conflict involved “protracted attacks on Ms….
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