Suit Seeks to Prevent Unauthorized Use of Jett’s and Currie’s Names, Images and Biographical Information by Former Employee
New York, NY—June 9, 2011—Baker Hostetler today announced the filing of a complaint in the Supreme Court of the State of New York seeking to protect the rights of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie against unauthorized use of their images, voices and biographical information by former employee Lauren Varga and Main Man Records.
The complaint alleges that Varga is a disgruntled former employee who used the names, voices and likenesses of Jett and Currie in unauthorized ways to promote a new album entitled Take it or Leave it: A Tribute to the Queens of Noise for Main Man Records, scheduled for release later this month.
Baker Hostetler Partner Oren Warshavsky, who filed the complaint, said: “We will be moving for a preliminary injunction. The injunction will seek to prevent the defendants from distributing the album with the current packaging and advertising.”
In addition to the unauthorized record release, the complaint alleges that Varga falsely reported in public that she continued to work closely with Jett and Currie, and that she had the approval of both artists for the making of the album. “Artists made the decision to participate and create recordings for this album based on Ms. Varga’s patently false assurance that Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, and their record company, Blackheart Records, supported their efforts,” said Mr. Warshavsky. “Ms. Jett, Ms. Currie and Blackheart did not support the album and have made repeated requests of both Ms. Varga and Main Man Records to cease and desist with its production and sales.”
“Ms. Varga’s and Main Man Music’s actions were undertaken with a blatant disregard for Ms. Jett’s and Ms. Currie’s respective rights. Ms. Varga should not receive financial gain or other benefits from the use of their names, likenesses and biographical information without consent to do so,” Warshavsky concluded.
Joan Jett, recognized as the Queen of Rock & Roll, is best known for her recordings Bad Reputation, I Love Rock N’ Roll, Crimson and Clover, I Hate Myself for Loving You, Do You Want to Touch Me, Light of Day, Love Is All Around, and Little Liar. Her recording of I Love Rock N’ Roll was ranked 14th most popular rock & roll song of all time by Billboard, and Bad Reputation was named 29th best hard rock song of all time by VH1. She is one of Rolling Stone’s “Top 100 Guitarists of All Time,” one of only two women guitarists listed. Her cross-genre attitude, sound and styling have made her a female icon among hard rock, punk, and rock & roll audiences for decades. Jett supports numerous charitable organizations and has traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain the U.S. troops stationed there.
Cherie Currie was the lead singer of The Runaways, founded by Joan Jett in 1975. Ms. Currie released two solo albums, Beauty’s Only Skin Deep and Messin’ with the Boys. She too is a major female figure in rock & roll history as The Runaways and their success in the thirty-five years since they first formed continue to pave the way for artists and bands around the world. Currie wrote a memoir entitled Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway that inspired the 2010 movie about The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.
In addition to Mr. Warshavsky, Baker Hostetler attorneys Anthony Stark and Jessie Schweller contributed to the filing.
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