Stone Temple Pilots took legal action against Scott Weiland last Friday, May 24, 2013 and now more information on the details is being revealed. Weiland is accused by his former band mates of trying to interfere with their 20th Anniversary tour as well as their plans to continue work with Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, the bands new front man, they’ve requested a judicial hearing to halt Weiland’s hindrance with their professional aspirations.
A copy of the lawsuit has been obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the suit confirms several vital specifics on ownership of the band’s name and the group’s capacity to support their case. Part of the Stone Temple Pilots partnership agreement, originally signed in 1992 and recurrently signed in the years after, the band owns and regulates the rights to the Stone Temple Pilots name, trademark, copyrights, and marketing merchandise.
The STP partnership agreement states that the band name is the sole property of the partnership, as opposed to any individual member. The band also establishes that former members cannot use the Stone Temple Pilots name or represent themselves in present or past tense.
The band cited Weiland’s tardiness and absence during several shows as part of the explanation for his termination. Their allegations are founded on a clause in their agreement that states a member can be terminated for “grossly negligent performance or failure of performance of material duties, repeated late or non-appearances at concerts, death or disability, and similar serious misfeasance, malfeasance and failure of performance.”
This legal document also denotes that all members must make the band their “first priority.” Weiland’s excessive absence and tardiness, severing of communication and commencing a solo tour using the band’s material, were violations of the initial agreement. The partnership agreement also states that “fraudulent conduct and intentional misrepresentation of assets of the STP Partnership would be grounds for expulsion.” The faction asserts that Weiland used the band’s name in promoting and sold the tour based on performing Stone Temple Pilots’ material.
Alledgedly, Weiland also used Stone Temple Pilots to endorse himself, and attempted to impede the remaining members from doing the equivalent by untruthfully suggesting that promotion of the band’s new single and performances with Bennington were infringing upon his rights. Per se, the band is seeking monetary damages along with declaratory and legal sanctions to keep Weiland from benefiting at the band’s expense.
