Nirvana’s Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic are fighting fire with fire in their battle with Courtney Love over rights to Nirvana’s music. The surviving members of the grunge supergroup filed a lawsuit against Love yesterday (Dec 12th) according to various press reports.  

The lawsuit is in response to a suit brought against Grohl, Novoselic and Geffen Records parent company Universal Records by Love back in September. In her suit, Love (the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain), claimed that Nirvana’s contract with Geffen was void and she was asking the court to grant her the rights to Nirvana’s music. 

The Grohl and Novoselic suit seeks to have the court dismiss Love’s lawsuit as well as awarding the former Nirvana members court costs and damages to be determined by the court. The suit asks the court to declare that "Love, under the terms of the LLC Agreement, has become incapacitated and that her rights to vote should be assigned to a designated representative."

The crux of the Grohl and Novoselic suit alleges that in 1996 they along with Love agreed to release a Nirvana boxset in late 2001 in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the release of Nirvana’s breakthrough album “Nevermind”. The suit also claims that Love has exploited the unreleased Nirvana song “You Know You’re Right” by performing it on MTV and blocking the public from hearing the original version recorded by Nirvana before Cobain’s death. 

"Love now claims she wants to protect the legacy of Cobain and Nirvana by withholding approval of the public release of Nirvana sound recordings, including Nirvana's previously unreleased recording of the Cobain-authored song 'You Know You're Right,'" says the Grohl and Novoselic lawsuit. "Yet, Love felt no such protectiveness when it came to her own career, exploiting the cache surrounding Cobain's death for her own benefit by performing the song on MTV after introducing it as Cobain's last song."
 

Grohl and Novoselic contend that Love has blocked the release of the Nirvana boxset because she is "attempting to force Geffen and UMG into modifying her personal recording agreement." The suit also states that, “"in her professional dealings, Love is
irrational, mercurial, self-centered, unmanageable, inconsistent, and unpredictable."

Judging by reviews of her recent performance at the Hollywood Bowl those characteristics carry over to her stage performances as well.  

Grohl and Novoselic claim Love’s “actions are only about the revitalization of her career motivated solely by her blind self-interest. She couldn't care less about Nirvana fans. She is suing Nirvana's music as a bargaining chip to increase leverage for her personal gain, without any regard for the Nirvana legacy. Our music is just a pawn in her endless legal battles and her obsessive need for publicity and attention.”

Love’s attorney, O. Yale Lewis, balked at these allegations when questioned by the press about Grohl and Novoselic claims; he contends that Love is simply trying to reach an agreement with Universal Music Group that would “best protect and enhance the Cobain legacy.” When talking to members of the press, He also took the opportunity to take a swipe at the former Nirvana members claiming that Love has enjoyed far more success than Grohl and Novoselic since the death of Kurt Cobain. 

more on Nirvana and Courtney Love

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