Drummer Bobby Blotzer is hopeful that the court will decide in his favor in connection with his legal dispute with the other three members of RATT's classic lineup over the rights to the band's name. Back in November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether bassist Juan Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and guitarist Warren DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement. In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and singer Stephen Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement. Blotzer's attorney later filed a request for reconsideration, and a hearing was scheduled for Monday (January 23) in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom. In a Facebook post from Monday night, Blotzer confirmed that his attorney "appeared in front of the court" earlier in the day and claimed that "the court and his honor were given such a plethora of evidence that the judge is now moving on submission." He explained: "This basically means he's going to comb through the stacks of documents and then render his decision. "We feel that it's a very strong result as in if he thought that the information/evidence wasn't very compelling or had teeth, he would have cut and there would have been a ruling in there today." Blotzer continued: "Our guess: 1. We get the proper reversal, and fury like fire reigns on down the line. 2. Jury trial. If that happens, oh man, I can't imagine how these guys can think they'll pass these lies off on anyone with a brain. "We'll know soon. Could be five days, could be ten. "Can't come soon enough. Truth is a strong thing. But we'll be back on the pad [as soon as possible]. Maybe a few changes." The RATT version featuring Pearcy, DeMartini, Croucier and later-period RATT guitarist Carlos Cavazo (ex-QUIET RIOT) is scheduled to make its first official return to the stage on February 11 at the Treasure Island Resort Casino in Welch, Minnesota. A completely different version of RATT — led by Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015. Blotzer's most recent lineup of RATT included singer Josh Alan alongside guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).
Aloha Rattlers & greetings from GORRRRGEOUS Maui Hawaii. So, few things to pass on to your ears (and eye,...
Posted by RATT on Monday, January 23, 2017
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Aloha Rattlers & greetings from GORRRRGEOUS Maui Hawaii. So, few things to pass on to your ears (and eye,...
Posted by RATT on Monday, January 23, 2017
Continue reading...
