'Ol' pirates come to rob I'? - Marley family protests Verizon ringtone deal
September 17, 2007
The licensing dispute between the estate of the late international reggae superstar Bob Marley and the United States Universal Music Group has taken an "ugly turn".
At issue is an agreement struck last month for Verizon Wireless, the giant United States (U.S.) telecommunications giant, to become the exclusive provider of ringtones from the catalogue of Jamaican-born Marley, who died in 1981. Universal, a subsidiary of the U.S. conglomerate, Vivendi, owns the rights to the music.
In a statement issued here, Marley's family promptly objected to the deal, calling it tantamount to an endorsement and saying that it required their approval. The family threatened to sue to block the arrangement.
After Verizon Wireless appeared Thursday to have removed itself from the dispute, the Marley family said it would not follow through with plans to file a suit against the carrier for trademark infringement.
The family said Verizon had "ceded" to its demands and taken most of the 44 ringtones by the singer off the Verizon Wireless website.
Sixteen ringtones remained on the site, songs from early in Marley's career that are owned by companies other than Universal.
But in announcing that Verizon had changed course, the family was less than conciliatory.
No respect
Chris Blackwell, the British-based long-time spokesman for the family, said in a statement Friday that he was "infuriated that Verizon would go around the estate and initiate partnership with Universal".
He said it was "disturbing that these companies refuse to give the musicians the respect they deserve".
Blackwell, 70, the founder of Island Records, is credited with exposing Marley, who died of cancer at the age of 36, to an international audience.
He sold Island Records to Polygram Records, which was eventually bought by Seagram and merged into Universal.
James Gerace, a Verizon spokesman, said the company was "a little taken aback" by the Marley family statement.
"We had earlier this week decided to take the content down temporarily to give the Marley estate and Universal time to work out their differences," he said.
"Now, in light of that statement, we'll be putting that content back up," he added.
Backwell retorted that the suit with Verizon was back on "because they went back on their word"....
Author: Gleaner Reporter
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
