I looooooove rock ‘n’ roll, so put another dime in…my panties, baby?
Wait a second…that’s not right…
The one and only Queen of Rock, Joan Jett, is suing the mall staple Hot Topic for copyright infringement. The retail chain is under fire from Jett’s label, Blackheart Records, for both using the Blackheart name AND the tagline, “lingerie for girls who rock and roll.”
Yes, really. Because THAT isn’t obvious at all, now is it?
Jett’s label has been using the Blackheart name since it’s founding in 1980, when no other labels would release her now-classic jam, “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.” When asked about the lawsuit, Hot Topic stated:
“Hot Topic, Inc. takes the rights of artists very seriously, and has in fact compensated Ms. Jett over the many years in keeping with mutually agreed-upon license agreements…this lawsuit is a surprise to us, and we are confident in our rights to use the Blackheart brand name. We have 11 different registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for the use of the Blackheart brand for retail stores, apparel, lingerie, accessories, cosmetics and more.”
Which, in turn, comes as a shock to Jettheads everywhere, considering that back in 2010, it was said that Jett declined a deal with Hot Topic for use of the name. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this turns out, but – not surprisingly – I’m obviously on “Team Joan” here. There is really no reason to use BOTH the Blackheart name AND such a closely related tagline for a lingerie line. Now if you would excuse me, I’m going to go parade around in some AUTHENTIC Blackheart merchandise.
