Steve Perry, well known as the former frontman of the legendary rock band Journey, has decided to sue two members of the band’s current lineup. According to Loudwire, Perry’s suit, filed on September 11 in Woodland Hills, takes aim at the trademark registrations filed by the band’s Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain in 2020.
The suit claims that the two musicians allegedly registered 20 classic tracks in the band’s discography through Freedom JN LLC for the purpose of promoting t-shirts, hats and other merchandise, which Perry allegedly never consented to on his end. Perry believes that the members’ actions, as well as the 2020 ruling, allegedly violated an agreement the band had made in the past, stating that future agreements and decisions will require the “prior, written unanimous consent of all partners in each instance.”
The 20 classic tracks targeted by the lawsuit include “Good Morning Girl,” “Only the Young,” “Trial By Fire,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Stay Awhile,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Wheel in the Sky,” “Raised on Radio,” “When You Love a Woman,” “Open Arms,” “Still They Ride,” “Who’s Crying Now,” “Hopelessly in Love,” “Send Her My Love,” “After the Fall,” “Girl Can’t Help It,” “Ask the Lonely,” “I’ll Be Alright Without You,” “Stone in Love” and “Separate Ways.”
Neal Schon, one of the two targeted in the lawsuit, was quick to respond and condemn Perry’s action in a social media post. His response, quoted by Blabbermouth begins by decrying the suit as a “load of crap.”
Schon gives his account of the 2020 decision, explaining “Jon Cain calls a board of directors meeting out of nowhere then before I found out about the meeting Jonathan came to me and said he didn’t like what they (Ross [Valory, then-JOURNEY bassist;] [Steve] Smith [then-JOURNEY drummer;] Perry and Herbie [Herbert, former JOURNEY manager]) were planning. On that meeting Steve Ross Smith and Herbie voted myself and Cain off the board of directors and Steve and all voted Ross in my place and Smith in Jons… ”
He continues – “They all knew at this time I’d been investigating our Trade marks for years trying to get to the bottom of all corruption as we found ( my wife and I ) that nothing had ever been Trade Marked besides our music. They all went for a take over and it didn’t work. Quite simple.”
“So my Wife Micheale Schon found a legitimate Trade Mark attorney that wasn’t in the corrupt musical circles and we were then Successful in attaining it to Protect everything we built. We had been getting ripped off since the beginning until I shut it down.”
So the question is Why did Nobody else’s ( attorneys Steve’s – who was actually ours at one time also and individual band attorneys and accountants) and other so called trade mark attorneys help us do this ? It was a giant corrupted ring of people that either Managnent or accountants hired to work for us cashing in on all our merchandise till now… At this point I decided to go for All album titles as well as song titles. The more we got educated on how Song Writing and Copy rights have NOTHING to do with Trade Marks.”
Schon’s response concludes by emphasizing his commitment to exposing Perry’s lawsuit – “You haven’t heard the last of this friends. We are going to peel back the onion.”
Journey have recently released their fifteenth studio album, Freedom. Earlier this year, Neal Schon had gestured at the possibility of having reunion with Steve Perry, though these recent events have made such a reunion seem more implausible than ever.
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado
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