Smiths reunion update as Johnny Marr denies Morrissey’s claims about trademark

Johnny Marr has responded to Morrissey's claim that he ignored an offer of a Smiths reunion for a new tour.Source: Original

Transcript

00:00Johnny Ma has responded to Morrissey's claim that he ignored an offer of a Smith's reunion

00:08for a new tour. The 65-year-old singer shared an update to his personal website,

00:14messages from Morrissey, alleging that the guitarist, 60, had applied for copyright of

00:20the Smith's name without any consultation with him and without giving him a chance to object.

00:25Ma has now set the record straight, stating that he did not ignore the offer, he said no.

00:32On Morrissey's claim that he applied for the trademark for their former band,

00:37which split in 1987, he said that he's offered a joint ownership document to the singer,

00:44but execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.

00:48On reports that Ma ignored a promoter's offer to tour as the Smith's, the guitarist said,

00:57to prevent third parties from profiting from the band's name, it was left to me to protect the

01:03legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates. As for the

01:11offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer, I said no. Ma also dismissed speculation

01:17that he plans to tour as the Smith's with a different singer.