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The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has been involved in a series of strange, unexpected situations throughout his career. When he first began performing with the Fab Four, Starr could never have suspected what he and the band would go on to achieve. Beatlemania and a successful solo career to one side, the drummer would never believe that one day he’d find himself in the midst of a bizarre battle with a sex toy brand.
The incident came about 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”.
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 and said in a statement: “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”.
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 we’ll undoubtedly have to face the wrath of Ringo once again.
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Ringo Starr's bizarre feud with a sex toy brand – Far Out Magazine
