Friday, February 15, 2008

Yoko is all over the internet

Yoko Ono is busily sending messages out to the internet to try and quash the claims that she's suing Lennon Murphy to stop her using the name. Her defence has popped up on Idolator and Boing Boing already:

Dear Friends

A musician named Lennon Murphy is claiming that Yoko Ono has sued her and that Yoko is seeking to stop Lennon Murphy from performing under her name, Lennon Murphy. Both of these claims are untrue.

Several years ago, Lennon Murphy sought Yoko's permission to do her performances under her name, Lennon Murphy. Yoko, of course, did not object to her request. Subsequently, without Yoko's knowledge, Lennon Murphy filed an application in the United States trademark Office requesting the exclusive right to utilize the name "Lennon" for musical performances. Yoko's attorneys asked Lennon Murphy's attorneys and manager to withdraw her registration of exclusivity to the name LENNON for the trademark. Yoko also offered to cover all costs Lennon Murphy had incurred in filing for the trademark. But Lennon Murphy went ahead to register.

Yoko did not sue Lennon Murphy, but sought to stop her from getting the exclusive right to the name Lennon for performance purposes. For that, Yoko's attorneys, simply notified the Trademark office that Yoko did not believe it was fair that Ms. Murphy be granted the exclusive right to the "Lennon" trademark in relation to musical and entertainment services. As you can see, this is a very important issue for Yoko and the Lennon family.

Yoko says: "I am really hurt if people thought that I told a young artist to not use her own name in her performances and had sought to sue her. I did no such thing. I hope this allegation will be cleared."

Thank you for your kind attention,

Yoko

As Karl T pointed out when he drew our attention to this, "Yoko" appears to have an interesting way of approaching talking about herself - not only talking about herself in the third person, like "George is getting upset", but also quoting herself. Oddly, though, when Yoko quotes herself, she suddenly starts to talk about herself in the first person again.

The odd thing, though, is the original source of the story - a letter from Lennon Murphy claiming she was being sued, posted on Julian Lennon's MySpace with the introduction:
Sad but True & interesting........... I feel for her & know the situation well

So, then, rather than Yoko's word against Murphy's, it seems almost as if you're having to choose if you believe the widow or the first born. Curious.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would imagine that the changes in tense are due to this actually being a statement from Ono's management.

Also, I've noticed that Julian Lennon's MySpace page on this was posted before this clarification--is it possible that he's no more apprised of the actual situation than the rest of us?

Anonymous said...

Ah the Calous cold yoke that is Ono. Ain't she weird? Always was and always will be.
A non-entertity until Lennon-dom, and there is a sense that she wore the trousers, she doesn't deserve the oxygen of the planet. So far up her own arse is she, OH no! Not Ono. Leave her on her on y o. Complete yo-yo don't you know.

PeterD said...

2 Seinfeld references on one day, you are spoiling us.

Simon Hayes Budgen said...

@Rachel
Yes, but he does say that he knows Lennon and Murphy and the situation - and as someone with an interest in the Lennon name, you'd have to hope that would be true.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but that's also an older post. Julian Lennon has since updated his MySpace with Ono's explanation and admitted that he doesn't know what to think about the situation.

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