A long-standing feud between the two heirs to The Ramones’ estates has intensified, with a new lawsuit indicating that Joey’s brother, Mitchel Hyman, is accusing Johnny’s widow, Linda Cummings-Ramone, of violating federal trademark law by exploiting the Ramones’ name for her benefit.
The bickering between the two sides isn’t without precedent—Johnny and Joey famously had a rocky (pun intended) relationship with each other, which has seemingly carried over to their heirs. The two bandmates didn’t see eye to eye on many levels, including politics (Johnny was a staunch Republican while Joey was a liberal). However, the icing on the cake for their animosity was likely that Linda left Joey (the pair were engaged for some time) for Johnny. This tension has carried over to Mitchel and Linda, who have a lengthy history of disputes regarding control over the band’s legacy.
Together, Mitchel and Linda are sole shareholders (with an equal 50/50 stake) in Ramones Productions Inc., the holding company that controls the band’s intellectual property rights. Earlier this year, Linda sued Mitchel, accusing him of wrongfully developing a Ramones biopic without her approval, calling it a one-sided recitation. While that case remains unresolved, Mitchel has fired back with the trademark violation case. The latest lawsuit isn’t the first time that Mitchel has taken issue with Linda’s use of her surname; a previous lawsuit details a conflict that involved “protracted attacks on Linda’s ability to freely use her legal name ‘Linda Ramone’ on her social media accounts and otherwise.”
The last name Ramone wasn’t the actual surname of any band member, and none were related; rather, it was a pseudonym name they all adopted (inspired by Paul McCartney, who would go by Paul Ramon when checking in to hotels). According to the lawsuit, Linda only started going by the “Ramone” name after the death of her husband. In addition to referring to Linda as a former “groupie,” the lawsuit claims she’s exploiting the band’s name, goodwill and legacy “for her fame and vanity” and has infringed its trademarks held by Ramones Productions by using them herself. The suit further claims that prior legal proceedings and agreements have restricted how Linda can use the name but that she’s “repeatedly exceeded those limitations” to falsely portray the persona as the lone heiress to the Ramone’s legacy.
One arbitrator has scolded both parties for their relentless and frequent battles, writing that instead of protecting the iconic brand, “the parties have allowed their personal egos and their animus for one another to interfere with their joint obligations.”
