Ringo Starr’s bizarre legal battle with a sex toy company
The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has found himself in plenty of strange situations over the years. Back when he first started playing with the Fab Four, he could never have imagined just how far the band would go. From Beatlemania to a successful solo career, Starr’s journey has been full of surprises. But perhaps the most unexpected twist came when he ended up in a bizarre legal dispute with a sex toy company.
The surreal (and undeniably hilarious) incident occurred after Starr’s lawyers received a notification in 2019 about a company called Ring O. On the drummer’s behalf, they claimed the manufacturer was “identical in appearance, sound, connotation and pronunciation” to Starr’s stage name, which the drummer had previously trademarked. The Ring O’s are part of the Screaming O range of sex aids, which the manufacturers claim is “the award-winning adult product designer behind some of the most popular sex toys on the market”, but I’ll just take their word for it.
The musician’s legal team initially argued in 2019: “Ringo is an internationally known performer, who has had his hand in a variety of entertainment services and consumer products, such as music, movies, musical instruments, merchandise and clothing, among others. This is further established by the fact that the Ringo Trademarks are registered in a wide variety of classes.”
They continued: “Since Opposer’s (Ringo) name is tied to a wide variety of products, consumers will likely believe that Opposer’s newest venture is sex toys – and this is an association that Opposer does not want.”
Ring O finally responded to the lawsuit in December 2020 in wonderfully bitchy fashion, saying, “It is not often a Beatle becomes a trademark squatter to eke out a few extra bucks, but that is what this case is about.”
The bizarre trademark battle between Ringo Starr and Ring O
In fairness, it’s not hard to see why Starr took issue. Having your name unwittingly slapped on vibrating rubber rings isn’t exactly the kind of brand extension you’d expect for a former Beatle. From peace and love to legal disputes over sex toys is a long and winding road, but in the hyper-litigious world of celebrity trademarks, even Ringo’s moniker isn’t sacred.
The irony, of course, is that Ringo Starr has always been the Beatle most removed from controversy. While John Lennon was sparking outrage, Paul McCartney was pushing creative boundaries, and George Harrison was off chasing spiritual enlightenment, Starr was just trying to keep the tempo steady. That the most easy-going of the four ended up in a courtroom standoff over cock rings is, frankly, pure Monty Python.
Still, the case underlines a very modern problem. In a culture that loves to commodify everything, including your name, the legacy of 1960s counterculture icons often ends up being wrangled through lawyers and licensing deals. What was once shorthand for a generation’s musical awakening now has to be protected from becoming the accidental mascot for a vibrating silicone loop.
Ringo, ever the gent, didn’t make a circus of the situation, but the absurdity speaks volumes about how far removed today’s commercial landscape is from the era The Beatles helped shape. Back then, all you needed was love. These days, you also need a trademark lawyer on speed dial.
Finally, after two years of Starr’s team living in a legal dispute with the sex toy brand, they reached an agreement in 2021. As part of the deal, Ring O promised to stick to a number of rules set by Starr’s lawyers to protect him and to safeguard his “name, likeness and brand”.
While the financial aspects of the agreement have remained undisclosed, Ringo’s team confirmed a new settlement was found with Pacific Holdings and Momentum Management to “avoid any activity likely to lead to confusion”. Following the deal, Ring O can only be used for adult sex toys and sprays. Furthermore, there must be a clear space between the Ring and O.
Additionally, Ring O have said they won’t “degrade, tarnish or deprecate or disparage” Starr’s brand by naming their items after Beatles songs or referencing him in any way. If they try to pull such a stunt, the sex toy company will undoubtedly have to face the wrath of Ringo once again.
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