Johnny Rotten Loses Court Case Over Use Of Sex Pistols Music In New Miniseries

Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has lost the right to block usage of the bands' songs in an upcoming miniseries, after being sued by fellow Sex Pistols bandmates Paul Cook and Steve Jones.

According to reports from The Guardian, the UK High Court declared a “majority rules basis” for the decision, owing to two of the three surviving members voting for use of the back catalogue in the series.

The program, directed by Trainspotting director Danny Boyle, was announced earlier this year, with Australian actor Toby Wallace and Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams set to take up lead roles. The series is based on Jones' autobiography Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol, which was released in 2018.

Lydon had previously lambasted the announcement of the show, calling the idea "a disgrace" and "the most disrespectful shit I’ve ever had to endure".

In a joint statement released after the hearing, Jones and Cook welcomed the court's ruling. 

“It brings clarity to our decision-making and upholds the band members’ agreement on collective decision-making," they said. 

“It has not been a pleasant experience, but we believe it was necessary to allow us to move forward and hopefully work together in the future with better relations.”

The project is expected to air next year.