US: Ozzy wins first found in antitrust fight

A California judge ruled that Ozzy Osbourne has adequately alleged he’s being coerced on his concert tour.

In a lawsuit filed in March, Osbourne alleged he had been pushed into a so-called “Staples Center Commitment,” meaning he would only be able to perform in AEG’s “must have” O2 performance center if, on the Los Angeles leg of his tour, he commited to play AEG’s Staples Center instead of The Forum, a joint venture between Madison Square Garden Company and Irving Azoff, who once was the leader of Live Nation. He sought an injunction to prohibit AEG from enforcing the “Staples Center Commitment” on him and other musicians.

AEG asserted the lawsuit was engineered by its competitor Live Nation. The defendant challenged Osbourne’s standing to bring the case by discussing how the agreement for concerts was one between AEG and Live Nation, which represents Osbourne as his concert booker and promoter.

Full Content: Hollywood Reporter

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