If anyone thinks *their* family's dysfunctional (Zappa content)...

randella

Latest goings on in the case of Zappa Foundation Trust vs. Dweezil Zappa.  Be nice to your family, kids - it's only the lawyers who'll get rich...

https://www.dweezilzappa.com/posts/1983688-trademark-battle-update

digitalscream

Jesus.

The stupid thing is, he probably will lose the right to use his own name for his performances, because that's happened before with a number of bands that started as one person. They'll probably argue that his show is derivative of works owned by ZFT, and thus there's a conflict.

Utterly ludicrous.

bingefeller

That is messed up beyond all belief.  

Sassafras

Not exactly the Waltons.
Depressing reading.
I wonder what he did to his siblings when they were all kids?

randella

digitalscream said:

Jesus.

The stupid thing is, he probably will lose the right to use his own name for his performances, because that's happened before with a number of bands that started as one person. They'll probably argue that his show is derivative of works owned by ZFT, and thus there's a conflict.

Utterly ludicrous.

There's an interesting bit of timeline in there - Gail Zappa trademarked 'Zappa Plays Zappa' shortly after Dweezil started touring it first time out.  No doubt she spotted her son's talent (and who wouldn't, he is one *sick* guitarist) and thought she'd have a slice of the pie.  He (Dweezil) I firmly believe was just taking the whole thing on face value and doing it for the love of Frank's music.

I've followed this whole sorry saga for a while now - from both sides - and I'm squarely in Dweezil's camp.  The rest of them haven't lifted a finger; meanwhile, the one who does just happen to ooze talent from every pore is out grafting just for the rest of them to piss the whole stack away on legal fees.

It really is one sad mess.

randella

Sassafras said:

Not exactly the Waltons.
Depressing reading.
I wonder what he did to his siblings when they were all kids?

 @Sassafras - God alone knows.  As far as I can tell, they all used to be tight.  If you haven't already, give the 'Shampoohorn' record a listen - it's Dweezil ripping it up on the guitar and Ahmet at the mic.  The track 'Loser' is one of my favourite songs.

Danji

randella said:

Sassafras said:

Not exactly the Waltons.
Depressing reading.
I wonder what he did to his siblings when they were all kids?

 @Sassafras - God alone knows.  As far as I can tell, they all used to be tight.  If you haven't already, give the 'Shampoohorn' record a listen - it's Dweezil ripping it up on the guitar and Ahmet at the mic.  The track 'Loser' is one of my favourite songs.

I love confessions, have you heard that one?  Nuno produced and added backing vocals and guitar. Top album

crunchman

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

EricTheWeary

Where is Moon Unit? 
It probably doesn't matter but I like typing Moon Unit.

randella

EricTheWeary said:

Where is Moon Unit? 
It probably doesn't matter but I like typing Moon Unit.

 @EricTheWeary - I think she's playing Switzerland in the matter.  It's Ahmet and Diva who are driving the whole thing.

Whether or not that gives you an in to type Moon Unit again I don't know.

crunchman

I reckon it's to do with the names.  Jamie Oliver's kids will probably be fighting over his money in 50 years time.

Philtre

Just make sure no money goes to the ZFT. Sadly, this means not buying any FZ records. Mind, they're all on YT anyways...

Alnico

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

Sassafras

crunchman said:

I reckon it's to do with the names.  Jamie Oliver's kids will probably be fighting over his money in 50 years time.

His kids are unlikely to live that long with the crap they're forced to eat.
  

DefaultM

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

I believe she trademarked a few phrases from one or a few of her songs, so that she could try to avoid 3rd parties cashing in by making shirts that used those phrases. 

Alnico

DefaultM said:

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

I believe she trademarked a few phrases from one or a few of her songs, so that she could try to avoid 3rd parties cashing in by making shirts that used those phrases. 

That makes a bit more sense.

Sorry, not having a great day.

crunchman

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jan/29/taylor-swift-this-sick-beat-worlds-first-trademarked-lyric

Not sure what would happen if you wrote a song with it in.

I get the impression that it was largely about stopping people making merchandising with the words on.

Either way it is getting ridiculous.

I think trademark/copyright law needs to be pared pack.  All the big business interests that have been cashing in on copyrighted work persuaded the governments of the world that copyright should be extended to 70 years after the death of the author.  That's ridiculous.  If someone writes something when they are 20, and lives until they are 90, it would be 140 years before something became public domain.

30 years after the death of the author would be fine.  Their kids could benefit from it for a generation which seems about right, but after that it becomes public domain.  You could put a minimum term of 50 years in case someone dies young.

Alnico

crunchman said:

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jan/29/taylor-swift-this-sick-beat-worlds-first-trademarked-lyric

Not sure what would happen if you wrote a song with it in.

I get the impression that it was largely about stopping people making merchandising with the words on.

Either way it is getting ridiculous.

I think trademark/copyright law needs to be pared pack.  All the big business interests that have been cashing in on copyrighted work persuaded the governments of the world that copyright should be extended to 70 years after the death of the author.  That's ridiculous.  If someone writes something when they are 20, and lives until they are 90, it would be 140 years before something became public domain.

30 years after the death of the author would be fine.  Their kids could benefit from it for a generation which seems about right, but after that it becomes public domain.  You could put a minimum term of 50 years in case someone dies young.

Wow, I had no idea about all of that.

Thanks.

EricTheWeary

DefaultM said:

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

I believe she trademarked a few phrases from one or a few of her songs, so that she could try to avoid 3rd parties cashing in by making shirts that used those phrases. 

In her defence ( why I should I don't know...) apparently she has made a point of crediting Right Said Fred for quoting them within a song.

randella said:

EricTheWeary said:

Where is Moon Unit? 
It probably doesn't matter but I like typing Moon Unit.

 @EricTheWeary - I think she's playing Switzerland in the matter.  It's Ahmet and Diva who are driving the whole thing.

Whether or not that gives you an in to type Moon Unit again I don't know.

Moon Unit!

I'd have thought ZPZ would have helped sell the back catalogue and that was good for the ZFT, I don't understand what they have to gain.

Danji

crunchman said:

Alnico said:

crunchman said:

There has to be some protection but things are getting silly now.

This is probably worse than Taylor Swift trademarking song lyrics.

Forgive me, I know this will sound like I'm winding you up but I'm not,......What do you mean?
Trademarking lyrics?
As in not allowing me to write a song with the same combination of WORDS as she's used?

https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jan/29/taylor-swift-this-sick-beat-worlds-first-trademarked-lyric

Not sure what would happen if you wrote a song with it in.

I get the impression that it was largely about stopping people making merchandising with the words on.

Either way it is getting ridiculous.

I think trademark/copyright law needs to be pared pack.  All the big business interests that have been cashing in on copyrighted work persuaded the governments of the world that copyright should be extended to 70 years after the death of the author.  That's ridiculous.  If someone writes something when they are 20, and lives until they are 90, it would be 140 years before something became public domain.

30 years after the death of the author would be fine.  Their kids could benefit from it for a generation which seems about right, but after that it becomes public domain.  You could put a minimum term of 50 years in case someone dies young.

We are never, ever, ever putting those words together

Funkfingers

The sad bit for any music fan is that the ZFT is controlled by the family members with zero musical talent between the pair of them.

Dweezil is not Frank. He is his own artiste. It seems to me that he has made sincere efforts to keep his father's music available, live on stage.

Obviously, there are ways to ensure that all interested parties get a cut of the proceeds. Some of the parties appear to be disproportionately greedier than others, accepting monies off the back of the work of others, work that they could not possibly do themselves.

If Dweezil is subject to some injunction that forbids him to appear under his present legal name, perhaps, he could revert to the names that he was given at birth?