Rotten Band Agreement: Sex Pistols lead singer loses High Court case

Last week, the UK High Court ruled against lead singer John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) in his battle against fellow Sex Pistols.

The dispute arose from Johnny Rotten’s refusal to allow Sex Pistols’ songs to be used in Disney’s upcoming TV series about the band which is based on guitarist Steve Jones’s memoir “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol”.

The case serves as a helpful reminder to artists, managers, and those involved in music and IP licensing that, ultimately, the text of a contract is of upmost importance.

The singer wanted to rely on estoppel to stop the other Pistols from enforcing their Band Members Agreement, offering over 20 examples of events concerning Sex Pistols’ rights and various licensing deals that he claimed gave rise to shared assumptions, acquiescence, and representations.

Click here for a summary of the decision.