Johnny Marr's Management response to Morrissey's allegations (September 17, 2024)

A statement from Johnny Marr's management:

Recent statements made by Morrissey on his website regarding the trademark of
The Smiths' name are incorrect.

Here are the facts:

In 2018, following an attempt by a third party to use The Smiths' name - and upon
discovery that the trademark was not owned by the band - Marr reached out to
Morrissey, via his representatives, to work together in protecting The Smiths' name.

A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself.
It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey's lawyers that this trademark was held
for the mutual benefit of Morrissey & Marr.

As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint
ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.

In the interests of accuracy and clarity regarding the trademark, and to answer
recent reports that Marr ignored a promoter's offer to tour as The Smiths, Marr says:

"To prevent third parties from profiting from the band's name, it was left to me
to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former
bandmates."

"As for the offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer - I said no."

Additionally, speculation about Johnny Marr touring with a different singer as
The Smiths is not true. There are no such plans.

Johnny Marr also confirms that he declined a suggestion for another greatest hits
compilation from Warner Music Group given the number already in existence.

---

Related items:

• Morrissey Central: "THE PLOT THICKENS" - September 15, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "SMITHS NOT OK" - September 11, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "WAR IS OLD, ART IS YOUNG" - August 29, 2024

 

[Seymour Glass]

Well said by Johnny. Now can we please move past this insanity?

 

[Amy]

But it would be possible that Morrissey didn’t agree on this.

What are you talking about?

 

[CrumbsOfComfort]

Ah Morrissey, with egg on his face yet again. He’s a mess! It’s almost like he’s a sub-species of a human.

 

[Paul Gambaccini]

I suspect Mozza's sudden obsession with the possibility of reviving the Smiths (something he has appeared to be very against for years) is inspired by his fellow faded showbiz pal Noel announcing the return of O-bloody-asis. The money and positive attention such a 'reunion' brings would understandably be a much needed boon and perhaps a clearing of the slate for M. He now feels that he wants a slice of that action- but he can't because Johnny Marr is a man of his principles who has acted to protect the legacy of The Smiths.

So now Morrissey has his 2000th opportunity to (falsely) play the victim card and gain more negative attention. What a sad- and boring time to be a loyal Morrissey fan. We deserve better.

 

[Benny-the-British-Butcher]

Ladies and Gentlemen please be upstanding!!!!!!
For the one !!!!!!!
The only !!!!!!!!

Brummmmmmmmmie
Boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Benny

 

[DaveJCarr]

The amount of folks who use the undisputed, plainly obvious fact of Marr admitting that Moz coined the band name "The Smiths" to declares via unsupported induction that this also entails Marr admitting that Moz has full credit for the creative vision, and artistry of the Smiths is wild. Yes, Moz came up with the name, yes he wrote the lyrics, yes he designed the sleeves, but Marr wrote the instrumentals, recruited the rest of the band members, produced a lot of the stuff in the studio, etc. Moz has even said that his lyrics in those days were in response to what he was hearing in Johnny's cords. Different guitarist, different songs, as has been evident, by the way in every iteration of Moz's solo work too.

But if Moz wants to make the solo ownership, trademark claim, then so be it.

If the courts agree with him, he'll paise it as the triumph of artistic integrity. If they do not, he'll claim the whole things was rigged by halfwits in a wig, under collision from a biased media

 

[🐈🐈🐈]

Couldn’t see past the G&Ts to sign the papers that Donnie Knutjob was hiding from him because he’d be out of a job.

He’s surrounded himself with absolute shithouses that he sees as beacons of ‘loyalty’.

 

[Thewlis]

What are you talking about?

To share ownership of the trademark with Johnny and Angie.

He must have had a reason to not respond.

 

[Anonymous]

Now all of this is done and finished (I hope?). Onwards to having BOT or WMTWD released!! Pls Moz

 

[Amy]

To share ownership of the trademark with Johnny and Angie.

He must have had a reason to not respond.

You're being purposely obtuse now. He's being offered joint ownership, as is clearly stated. And according to Morrissey's own Central post, he was never approached in order to respond - he's claiming he never saw anything. He's lying or mistaken, pick your preference.

 

[JoeSellMozza]

Ladies and Gentlemen please be upstanding!!!!!!
For the one !!!!!!!
The only !!!!!!!!

Brummmmmmmmmie
Boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Benny

You are more of an idiot than Morrissey, which isn‘t easy these days.

 

[Benny-the-British-Butcher]

Open letter to Jesse and the “Doofer’s”*
Laugh out loud !!!!!!!!
Steven has taken you all up the A-nus big time

Clearly he’s used you to make many dollars but obviously you just weren’t up to it and he’s tried to and catastrophically failed to get more money from The Smiths legacy.

Put those instruments down and give them to someone who can actually play them. The game is up for everyone of you.
I wish you well and hope to never ever hear anymore from you.

*Doofer’s ……… Do for now.

Benny

 

[Thewlis]

You're being purposely obtuse now. He's being offered joint ownership, as is clearly stated.

In 2024, yes.

But Morrissey’s statement was about the 2018 situation. Johnny, with Angie, registered the trademark. Morrissey was asked to ‘work together’ but ‘failed to respond’ according to Marr’s statement.

 

[Gray Fruit]

If so, maybe Donnie red it and didn't understand the content.
Anyway!
I am sure, Morrissey will be celebrated as a martyr, victim and truthteller by those remaining on the upcoming US tour. Just like Trump.

When Johnny referenced Trump in his response to Morrissey's Open Letter, he was dead on. He saw exactly what Morrissey was trying to do, the same thing Trump does to his brainwashed horde.

 

[Anonymous]

Well said by Johnny. Now can we please move past this insanity?

Yup. I moved past Morrissey quite a long time ago!

 

[SJFC1884]

They`ve missed off the last line of Johnny`s statement it read
"And that sleeve is shit"

 

[Jeffrey7777]

I get it. Nothing is going to happen, be it tours, reunions, compilations etc. The name "The Smiths" is secured/trademarked. Marr saved the name, and very kind that he included Mr. M as a participant later on. All that remains to be done is the missing signature. Pride seems to be the driving force from both sides.

 

[Benny-the-British-Butcher]

You are more of an idiot than Morrissey, which isn‘t easy these days.

Wash your mouth out and study the archives of this site Clarice !!!!
It’s there for all to see………….

Steven Quilloughby CrankFraud Dorrissey

Is no more !!!!!!!

Killed by his own sword. There are parties on the streets of Manchester as I speak.

Best thing you die hards can do is set up a crowdfunding page to put Quilloughby in a retirement home for nut jobs.

Benny

 

[Amy]

In 2024, yes.

But Morrissey’s statement was about the 2018 situation. Johnny, with Angie, registered the trademark. Morrissey was asked to ‘work together’ but ‘failed to respond’ according to Marr’s statement.

Morrissey's statement about the trademark does not mention a date. His 'plot thickening' post suggests, at least, that the situation was new to him - or - that he knew about the approach in some vague manner but didn't read any paperwork at the time ('whatever oaths and proclamations he has put forward.').

It would be ridiculous for Morrissey to decline joint ownership 'on the grounds of Angie' or whatever, when doing that would simply give JM 100% of the rights instead. Johnny even says that his reps came to an agreement with Morrissey's lawyers, later - so all that guff about M being 'denied the right of objection' was untrue as well. Come on.

 

[Tingle3]

That’s just what we needed, thanks, Johnny.

Still I wonder what happened that he refuses to consider working together as The Smiths (in June, prior to the whole ‘affair’) and refuses to cooperate in working on a new Smiths comp.

How does he see the future? There’s bound to be more offers and more demand for a new comp.

What happened??? : "For Britain", Waters, Farage, Yaxley-Lennon happened.