Ozzy Osbourne Drops His ‘Block-Booking’ Lawsuit Against AEG

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After a back-and-forth legal tug of war, Ozzy Osbourne had agreed to drop his lawsuit against AEG and its block-booking policy.

The lawsuit was originally filed to protest AEG’s requirement that artists who perform at London’s O2 Arena also play the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  The legal roe ended when AEG formally ended its policy.

AEG’s policy was creating issues for Ozzy Osbourne and his No More Tours 2 tour.  But legal experts feel the case touched upon other important aspects as well, including the long-running fight between AEG and Azoff-MSG.

This epic battle has largely focused on the Forum, which happens to be the Staples Center’s main competition for attracting concerts and other events in Los Angeles.  According to AEG chief Jay Marciano, the lawsuit went far beyond the conflicts Ozzy Osbourne was experiencing with his tour, and into the murky block-booking policies between the Forum and Madison Square Garden.

“It is no surprise that once AEG refused to back down, Azoff, MSG and Live Nation became eager to drop the case as soon as possible,” AEG stated.  “They dismissed the case with prejudice after realizing AEG would aggressively defend it, costing them tens of millions of dollars and posing a source of embarrassment once their questionable tactics were exposed in the course of discovery and trial.”

That brought a strong denial from Irving Azoff.  As a result, Osbourne, AEG, and Azoff-MSG all reached an agreement that allowed the block-booking policy to end.

In a statement, Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon said they were both pleased the lawsuit was able to be dropped.  First filed in March, it had been a distraction during Ozzy’s tour, and all parties were glad to put it behind them. However, while attorneys for AEG were also glad to see the lawsuit end, they did indicate in statements they were prepared to see the case through to the end if necessary.