Wetton's Estate is Suing Jobson

[MudShark22]

Andre C is alright by me, so his voice here resonates.

However I hope this is resolved swiftly satisfactorily to all parties and most importantly out of the public eye.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Care to elaborate? How was Eddie an a-hole opening for Tull (with UK) and then next year with Tull? I saw these tours as well and witnessed no such assholeness.

I do not mean to imply that he was an asshole on stage (though in Tull, he seemed to be setting himself apart from the band, which was probably appropriate since he had no intention of remaining). I was just responding to Geez's comment about seeing him live.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Well, the anecdotal evidence is beginning to favor Jobson, which is frankly a relief. May it all be resolved, somehow, quickly and equitably - whatever that turns out to mean in this case!

[Rick L.]

Let's get to the important stuff, already.

What does Steven Wilson think about this?

[moecurlythanu]

Let's get to the important stuff, already.

What does Steven Wilson think about this?

He says they're all derivative crap.

[wilcox660]

I've yet to read a single unbiased opinion in this thread.

[NogbadTheBad]

I've yet to read a single unbiased opinion in this thread.

Here's one!

Oh dear, only the lawyers will win.

[Mstove]

He says they're all derivative crap.

And that they should all be standing.

[wilcox660]

Well, yeah, if you want to resort to using facts! :P

Here's one!

[Poisoned Youth]

I wouldn't go making judgments on anything until the full facts of the case come out and things are settled. These days it seems to be easy to do a "trial by social media PR" campaign.

</thread> ...

[Nearfest2]

There is a difference between Andre's and Alex's working relationships with Eddie vs. John Wetton though. Andre and Alex were hired for a particular purpose. They didn't write and release material with Eddie. Again, we don't know anything, but when you get into royalty payments, it's a much more dynamic situation involving accountants and calculations. If you're hired to play guitar on a tour, you have a set monetary amount that you have agreed upon up front. Royalties are very potentially much messier and less transparent.

[Dan Roth]

Looks like this is still going on, with the next court date set for April 21st. All the court documents are on the web; I'm no legal expert, but reading things over it seems it is not going well for Wetton's estate. Jobson is now firing back with counterclaims in regards to defamation, accounting, and several others. It is a very convoluted web, with things coming out like how Bozzio was never a full member of UK and the folks who own Wetton's estate also own Bruford's publishing and Jobson makes the point that " Bill Bruford’s 1979 album “One of a Kind” contains a Jobson composed track “The Sahara of Snow-Part Two.” The Counterclaim Defendants control the publishing copyrights in the album, but have never arranged or accounted for any payment of publishing royalties to Mr. Jobson. ".

A couple items of interest from Jobson's side:

Mr. Jobson, through UKZ Inc., paid Mr. Wetton generously for his participation
in “U-Z,” even though he was told by both Mr. Wetton and his representative Mr. Darvill that
Mr. Wetton did not need the money, and that he was performing with Mr. Jobson to atone for his
thirty years of abusive behavior, as part of Mr. Wetton’s twelve-step sobriety program

In January 2016 (a year before Mr. Wetton’s death), all of the former members of
“UK” – Mr. Jobson, Mr. Wetton, Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth2 – signed an agreement
with Globe Music, granting the exclusive rights to Globe Music and Mr. Jobson to continue
acting on the group’s behalf in controlling the copyrights in the “UK” albums. They also agreed
to the transfer of their copyright rights in the historic sound recordings to Globe Music, upon the
successful termination of, and reversion of rights in, the underlying copyrights from Universal
Music Group to the members

On April 9, 2019, in furtherance of Earnshaw’s and Darvill’s attempts to
undermine Mr. Jobson’s reputation and business, and to wrongfully take control of “UK”’s
copyrights, Mr. Earnshaw drafted a letter from “The Members of UK.” The letter purported to
revoke any agreements Mr. Jobson and Globe Music has “to administer the ‘UK’ copyrights,”
“to ensure the preservation of our legacy in the band UK.” Tellingly, the “Members of UK”
letter appears on identical stationery as Mr. Earnshaw’s “The Wetton Estate” letters, and
identifies “Members of UK” as “c/o QEDG Management, The Grange, Northlew Road,
Oakhampton, Devon, EX20 3DA, UK,” just like the Estate. A true and correct copy of the April
9, 2019 letter is attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit E.
37. Mr. Earnshaw collected signatures from: 1) drummer Bill Bruford (whose
publishing copyrights are now controlled by Mr. Earnshaw); 2) 1979 session musician Terry
Bozzio, who was never a full member of “UK”; 3) Darvill, purportedly on behalf of the Estate of
John Wetton; and 4) Evan S. Cohen, a lawyer purportedly on behalf of the Estate of Allan
Holdsworth.

[Paulrus]

Looks like this is still going on, with the next court date set for April 21st...

Yowza. Some intrepid progger needs to make a concept album out of all this. Where's Andy Tillison when you need him?

[Dan Roth]

Yowza. Some intrepid progger needs to make a concept album out of all this. Where's Andy Tillison when you need him?

Haha yeah. Would be a good book too.

[Interstellar]

Could "Lawyer Prog" be a new sub-genre ?

[irongoalie]

Could "Lawyer Prog" be a new sub-genre ?

Been there, done that

LMR.jpg

[MudShark22]

Totally forgot that disc!

[timmy]

Been there, done that

LMR.jpg

HAHAHAHA I forgot that disc, too! Oh, man. Thanks for that laugh. I truly needed it!

[Trane]

Been there, done that

LMR.jpg

I was more thinking of

ggf.jpg

[bondegezou]

Looks like this is still going on, with the next court date set for April 21st. All the court documents are on the web;

All fascinating - thanks.

I'm no legal expert, but reading things over it seems it is not going well for Wetton's estate. Jobson is now firing back with counterclaims in regards to defamation, accounting, and several others. It is a very convoluted web, with things coming out like how Bozzio was never a full member of UK and the folks who own Wetton's estate also own Bruford's publishing and Jobson makes the point that " Bill Bruford’s 1979 album “One of a Kind” contains a Jobson composed track “The Sahara of Snow-Part Two.” The Counterclaim Defendants control the publishing copyrights in the album, but have never arranged or accounted for any payment of publishing royalties to Mr. Jobson. ".

Pretty damning... if true! That's the problem: there's claim and counterclaim, who do we believe?

A couple items of interest from Jobson's side:

Mr. Jobson, through UKZ Inc., paid Mr. Wetton generously for his participation
in “U-Z,” even though he was told by both Mr. Wetton and his representative Mr. Darvill that
Mr. Wetton did not need the money, and that he was performing with Mr. Jobson to atone for his
thirty years of abusive behavior, as part of Mr. Wetton’s twelve-step sobriety program

I don't know what really happened. We do know Wetton became sober and sought to make amends for past behaviour... but Wetton offering to do those shows for free? Seems a generous offer. How many U-Z shows did Wetton do?

In January 2016 (a year before Mr. Wetton’s death), all of the former members of
“UK” – Mr. Jobson, Mr. Wetton, Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth2 – signed an agreement
with Globe Music, granting the exclusive rights to Globe Music and Mr. Jobson to continue
acting on the group’s behalf in controlling the copyrights in the “UK” albums. They also agreed
to the transfer of their copyright rights in the historic sound recordings to Globe Music, upon the
successful termination of, and reversion of rights in, the underlying copyrights from Universal
Music Group to the members

On April 9, 2019, in furtherance of Earnshaw’s and Darvill’s attempts to
undermine Mr. Jobson’s reputation and business, and to wrongfully take control of “UK”’s
copyrights, Mr. Earnshaw drafted a letter from “The Members of UK.” The letter purported to
revoke any agreements Mr. Jobson and Globe Music has “to administer the ‘UK’ copyrights,”
“to ensure the preservation of our legacy in the band UK.” Tellingly, the “Members of UK”
letter appears on identical stationery as Mr. Earnshaw’s “The Wetton Estate” letters, and
identifies “Members of UK” as “c/o QEDG Management, The Grange, Northlew Road,
Oakhampton, Devon, EX20 3DA, UK,” just like the Estate. A true and correct copy of the April
9, 2019 letter is attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit E.
37. Mr. Earnshaw collected signatures from: 1) drummer Bill Bruford (whose
publishing copyrights are now controlled by Mr. Earnshaw); 2) 1979 session musician Terry
Bozzio, who was never a full member of “UK”; 3) Darvill, purportedly on behalf of the Estate of
John Wetton; and 4) Evan S. Cohen, a lawyer purportedly on behalf of the Estate of Allan
Holdsworth.

I don't see how that looks good for Jobson. So everyone else gave Globe Music the right to act on their behalf, but then they withdrew it.

Jobson has, in recent years, done lots to promote UK and their back catalogue, but many of his decisions have also been dubious and have been criticised here. You can see why the others might not be happy with Globe Music's stewardship.

Henry

[NogbadTheBad]

I love the idea of a UK line-up made up of Earnshaw, Davill, QEDG Management, Evan S Cohen & Terry Bozzio. Probably a little dry with a lot of drum solo's.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

I don't know about lawyer rock, but there was this:
R-5349215-1435148356-2624.jpeg.jpg

[vostoklake]

Looks like this case is still being dragged out: https://unicourt.com/case/ny-sue1-es...on-et-al-39717. I thought maybe it had been resolved since _Curtain Call_ was allowed to come out, but no such luck