Phil Rizzuto, unavailable for comment.
Meat Loaf, Grammy® award-winning musical artist and film actor whose albums have sold over 50 million copies worldwide, has filed suit in Federal Court in Los Angeles against songwriter Jim Steinman and his manager, David Sononberg, to uphold his right to use his album title, œBat Out of Hell. Meat Loaf is preparing to release his much anticipated third installment of one of rock music™s most successful series with œBat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose. After 30 years of continuous and extensive use by Meat Loaf of œBat Out Of Hell in record albums, tours, concerts and merchandise, Steinman is making unfounded and baseless claims to this valuable name.
(Marvin and Jim, in happier times)
In 1995, without even consulting Meat Loaf, Steinman filed for a U.S. trademark for the phrase, œBat Out Of Hell despite the fact that Meat Loaf had used the œBat Out of Hell mark continuously and extensively since 1977. In the application process, Steinman represented to the Patent Trademark Office that he had the exclusive right to the mark and that nobody else used the name “ a blatantly false assertion since Meat Loaf for many years before and after 1995 has had sole and exclusive use of the name.
When plans began to conceptualize œBat Out of Hell III, Steinman was offered a position as producer as well as songwriter. Says œBat Out of Hell III executive producer Winston Simone, œAlong with Jim™s lawyer, we had negotiated by far the best producer agreement that we had ever seen. Unfortunately, Jim decided not to sign the agreement or accept the very substantial advance.
Steinman voluntarily removed himself from the making of œBat Out of Hell III “ the Monster is Loose. Since then, Steinman, his manager and lawyer, have approached Meat Loaf™s labels, Universal and Virgin, falsely asserting trademark ownership and threatening litigation. According to attorney Miller, œMeat Loaf will not be bullied by anyone. He will continue to use the title œBat Out of Hell in any way he wants.
When I was at Village Recorders in December, I witnessed the big man’s parking space name change from “Mr. Loaf” to “Meat Loaf.” Despite my repeated requests and a wealth of more appropriate choices, “Mr. Rundgren” remained unmolested.
re : The Loaf. Supposedly, a more accomplished fantasy sports owner than any of this blog’s participants (http://cstb.wpengine.com/?p=2693).
“Spice World” got a lot of bad reviews, but any film that puts Meatloaf, Richard E. Grant and Mark McKinney on the same screen can’t be all bad. As long as you don’t watch it.
re : parking spaces. This is my Don Smith moment. After dining at the Warner Bros. commisary several years ago (hot tip : stay away from the lasagne), I noticed that Robert Urich’s personal space had been moved to the dumpsters all the way in the back of the building. Some thanks for practically building the studio with all of wonderful shows and made-for-tv movies.
As my wife would tell me, Don, don’t pretend to be offended when you’re secretly flattered.
Did the WB reject your pitch?
Don
did the WB reject my pitch? Well, let’s see….
do you remember seeing a sitcom called “I’m In Charge” starring Alexander Haig as a former Sec. Of State turned lower east side bodega owner? Or a family drama called “It’s The Pits” with Dandy Don Meredith as a divorced father of two kids trying to start a pit bull farm?
Me neither.
burn, hollywood, burn
GC