Sex Pistols’ John Lydon Loses Lawsuit, Allowing Use Of Music In Series

John Lydon, a member of the Sex Pistols, has lost a lawsuit against bandmembers Steve Jones and Paul Cook. Lydon did not want to allow Sex Pistols music to be used in an upcoming series called Pistol. The series is based on the Lonely Boy: Tales From A Sex Pistol that was written by Jones.

As a result of the ruling, Jones and Cook will now be able to use Sex Pistols songs in Pistol. The suit focused on a contract between the three men. This contract essentially allowed music licenses to be given out if the majority of the band desired them.

Lydon argued that this contract had never actually been followed, meaning that the claims of Jones and Cook were invalid. A judge in the High Court of London ruled, however, that the contract was still active. This meant Jones and Cook could overrule Lydon, allowing for the band’s music to appear in Pistol.

Jones and Cook made a public comment about the ruling, speaking about the process they endured to arrive here. “It brings clarity to our decision making and upholds the band members’ agreement on collective decision making. 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,” they said in a statement.

Lydon has been vocal about his disdain for the soon-to-be-released series. “[It is] the most disrespectful s— I’ve ever had to endure,” he previously said. Lydon was also opposed to licensing the Sex Pistols’ music for use in the drama series The Crown. He said that he thought the producers of the Netflix series were going to portray history in a distorted fashion.

Pistol was announced in January 2021 and will feature six episodes. Danny Boyle will direct the FX series. Craig Pearce and Frank Cottrel-Boyce are credited writers. Toby Wallace will star as Steve Jones, while actors such as Maisie Williams, Anson Boon and Jacob Slater will make appearances.