Morrissey Central "THE PLOT THICKENS" (September 15, 2024)

J Marr has successfully applied for 100% trademark rights / Intellectual Property ownership of The Smiths name. His application has been accepted on whatever oaths or proclamations he has put forward. This action was done without any consultation to Morrissey, and without allowing Morrissey the standard opportunity of 'objection'. Amongst many other things, this means that Marr can now tour as The Smiths using the vocalist of his choice, and it also prohibits Morrissey from using the name whilst also denying Morrissey considerable financial livelihood.

Morrissey alone created the musical unit name 'The Smiths' in May 1982.

THE PLOT THICKENS - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - THE PLOT THICKENS

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY

www.morrisseycentral.com

---

Media items:

• AV Club: "Morrissey claims that Johnny Marr owns name "The Smiths" now" - September 16, 2024
• NME: "Morrissey claims Johnny Marr now owns “100 per cent trademark rights and Intellectual Property” of The Smiths name" - September 16, 2024
• Stereogum: "Morrissey Says Johnny Marr Has Acquired The Smiths Trademark, Can Replace Him As Band’s Vocalist" - September 16, 2024

 

[The Wild Turkey]

Don't surprise Wild T at all.
Them lil leprechauns are tricky.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

 

[Anonymous]

I expect Johnny is just protecting himself from Morrissey being able to exploit the band name without him, and put out drek like 'Smiths Rule OK'. But yeah - Moz is clearly totally obsessed with Johnny at the moment. Clearly he's going to continue to keep digging at him publicly until he gets some kind of response.

 

[Redacted]

So is he just going to post about Johnny every other day now?
BREAKING NEWS Johnny took a shit and didn't consult me

 

[Anonymous]

Because there was probably no way for Morrissey to know about it until he tried to register the trademark himself.

Clearly something has happened recently for Morrissey to notice this 6 years after the fact. Maybe Moz has been looking at his legal options to force the release of the proposed reissues, or do a 'Smiths' reunion tour without Johnny?

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I’ve always believed Marr to be playing the victim all the while being a sleeze bag in the shadows.
This certifies it.

I’m not sure. If Marr already registered The Smiths name in 2018 and already owned it, then what is Morrissey talking about in this Central post? I could be wrong, but I want to hear Johnny’s side of the story. Surely he will be asked in an interview or soon make a public statement. Otherwise it does tarnish Johnny’s image as the ‘good Smiths member’.

 

[Gray Fruit]

Johnny and his team usually operate in a professional manner. If anything, a letter was sent to Morrissey and was either ignored or he was unreachable. They will most likely have the receipts.

 

[karenina]

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I expect Johnny is just protecting himself from Morrissey being able to exploit the band name without him, and put out drek like 'Smiths Rule OK'.

But supposedly Johnny registered the name way before the ‘Smiths rule ok’ compilation.

But yeah - Moz is clearly totally obsessed with Johnny at the moment. Clearly he's going to continue to keep digging at him publicly until he gets some kind of response.

or maybe he’s just pointing out what the public doesn’t know about Johnny?

 

[Gray Fruit]

But supposedly Johnny registered the name way before the ‘Smiths rule ok’ reissue.


or maybe he’s just pointing out what the public doesn’t know about Johnny?

At this point, Morrissey's doing Johnny a favor by keeping his name in the news as his North American tour is starting this week. Johnny will be a very sought after interview.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Johnny and his team usually operate in a professional manner. If anything, a letter was sent to Morrissey and was either ignored or he was unreachable. They will most likely have the receipts.

You really think Morrissey would have ignored something like that? and you don’t think it’s ruthless and disgusting if Johnny went ahead with it without consulting or even making sure that Morrissey knew what he (Marr) was doing and why he was doing it?

As I said previously, I do want to hear Johnny’s side of this story, but if it’s true, then that’s a pretty sly and shitty move on Marr’s part. And would feel and say the same if Morrissey did that to Marr.

 

[Amy]

I had hoped that there might be private discussions going on after recent 'events' but... no. He is clearly going to keep goading Johnny until he has no choice but to respond in public. And when he does - whatever Johnny says or tries to clarify, he will be angry, and the whole mess will get worse. Classless and awful, all of it.

 

[Redacted]

I had hoped that there might be private discussions going on after recent 'events' but... no. He is clearly going to keep goading Johnny until he has no choice but to respond in public. And when he does - whatever Johnny says or tries to clarify, he will be angry, and the whole mess will get worse. Classless and awful, all of it.

I could be wrong, but I think if there is any response to this from Johnny, it will be through lawyers

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe Morrissey could trademark 'The Pope of Mope'?

 

[Amy]

I could be wrong, but I think if there is any response to this from Johnny, it will be through lawyers

I thought that just after posting, he will do it legally, yes.

 

[Gray Fruit]

You really think Morrissey would have ignored something like that? and you don’t think it’s ruthless and disgusting if Johnny went ahead with it without consulting or even making sure that Morrissey knew what he (Marr) was doing and why he was doing it?

As I said previously, I do want to hear Johnny’s side of this story, but if it’s true, then that’s a pretty sly and shitty move on Marr’s part. And would feel and say the same if Morrissey did that to Marr.

You know as well as I do that one of Morrissey's personality quirks is that he disappears. He is unreachable, turns off and tunes out. It could be a video shoot, a meeting, a tv appearance, a concert, an entire tour or legal obligations. You have a certain amount of time to file for a trademark and if he didn't respond, that's on him and his team. Isn't it his legal team's obligation to keep track of these important things like the Smiths trademark anyway?

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

At this point, Morrissey's doing Johnny a favor by keeping his name in the news as his North American tour is starting this week. Johnny will be a very sought after interview.

If there are interviews, they’ll probably not be allowed to ask him about it. But of course Morrissey’s name will be used as clickbait in the interview’s headline, why else would most bother reading it.

 

[SteveWS]

I can't even keep up with this thread.

I no longer know whether to be bored, intrigued, outraged or...whatever...by these near-daily dramas from Morrissey & Marr. It's like when the Tories were in power, and each day would bring a new distraction from incompetence and the robbery of public money, like 'Boris' pretending that he intended to build 33 new bridges to the planet Neptune or the Minister for Hate deciding to fine women for being women etc etc.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

wonder if Morrissey now regrets outpourings like this ….

 

[SteveWS]

And, no matter if this gets downvoted by partisans or otherwise: from the fans' perspectives, they both have long proven to be 'unreliable narrators'. So it's going to be bloody hard to figure out for sure who, if any, is the actual villain in this situation (and in many others, past and present).

When I see Central news these days, I'm caught between thinking 'Oh good - something new to discuss or be excited about' and 'Oh God...(not a-bloody-gain'). Or even 'What a waste of time'.