More on the ongoing legal dispute between the former Busted boys and the even-more-former Busted boys. As previously reported, Ki Fitzgerald and Owen Doyle, both members of the then four-man Busted in the band's pre-Charlie, pre-fame days, are both suing James Bourne, Matt Willis and the Busted management team over allegations they co-wrote some of the boy band's hits, but were cut out of a songwriting credit and royalty share when they were kicked out of the band. They also claim they were the original creators of the band and therefore should have some ownership of the Busted name.
As I remember it, there was some kind of "arrangement" made between the Busted management team and Fitzgerald and Doyle when they parted the band, but the duo now claim that their former managers contravened their previous contractual commitment to act in their clients' best interests by forcing them into a deal on departure that, they say, very much favoured the band's managers and remaining members and was very much not in their best interest. If that make sense.
Legal proceedings for a cut of the royalties began last year, but lawyers for Bourne, Willis and manager Richard Rashman are yet to formally respond, having asked for an extension to prepare their defence. As I understand it, that extension runs out today, which means a formal response is now expected (presumably Willis won't be handing it in at court in person - him still pacing around the I'm A Celeb camp in an increasingly angry fashion). And word has it Fitzgerald and Doyle are also considering separate legal action against a forthcoming biography on the band because, they claim, they will not even get a mention.
With things possibly about to kick off, a spokesman for Fitzgerald and Doyle said yesterday: "It will be interesting to see how expelling Ki and Owen from their own band and taking their writing credits off Busted's biggest hits can be reconciled with their former manager's obligations to act in their best interests at all times. Both Ki and Owen are not bitter about the Busted's success, as it was built on the songs that they both wrote with James and Matt. However, the story that everyone has been told of how Busted was formed and how their big hits were written is a gross distortion of the truth and Ki and Owen just want acknowledgement for their work and to be entitled to what's rightfully theirs so they can put Busted behind them. They are both very confident about the strength of their legal argument and case".
Fitzgerald is now working on a debut album with his new band, Eyes Wide Open. Doyle is working on a solo album with producer Dan Frampton. Willis is about to release his really rather damn good debut solo album 'Don't Let It Go To Waste'. Bourne is... erm, actually I've no idea what Bourne's doing. Are Son Of Dork still going?