Can a pickle get more fans than Nickelback? The answer seems to be yes.

Hot on the heels of the incredibly successful Facebook campaign to help Rage Against the Machine beat X Factor for Britain’s highly coveted Christmas Number One Single, Facebook user Carol Anne has managed to prove that a pickle can indeed get more Facebook fans than Nickelback.

As of now the page titled “Can this pickle get more fans than Nickleback?” has managed to garner over 1,524,000 fans in just a few weeks, surpassing Nickelback’s fan page which currently stands at a little over 1,430,570 fans.

Yet Carol Anne has stated on the Facebook page that “I am not using this page to endorse any hate towards the band Nickelback. I respect Nickelback and do not hate them.” She has also admitted on the page’s description that it was inspired by a Facebook page of similar nature entitled Can this onion ring get more fans than Justin Bieber?” The page’s name is also intentionally written with ‘Nickelback’ spelled incorrectly as ‘Nickleback’ to avoid copy-write infringements.

Incidentally the pickle now also has more Facebook fans than Oprah Winfrey, Celine Dion and Sarah Palin.

Ozzy takes Iommi to courts over Black Sabbath name.

It was a black day for all Black Sabbath fans when it was announced on the 29th of May last year that Ozzy will be suing Iommi for a 50% share in the bands name and a cut of his profits after Black Sabbath’s guitar virtuoso claimed sole ownership to the name by filing it with the US Patent And Trademark Office last year.

At the time Ozzy released the following statement :

“It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long term partner, Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse.  As of the mid-1990’s, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of “Black Sabbath” was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name Black Sabbath) was reduced to performing in clubs.  Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world.  We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name “Black Sabbath” which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively.  Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the “Black Sabbath” brand through OZZFEST, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name “Black Sabbath” now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour.  Tony, I am so sorry it’s had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you.  I don’t have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally.  I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way.  We’ve all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright.  We’re all in our 60’s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone.  Please do the right thing.”

And on the 25th February 2010, a Manhattan federal judge ruled  that Ozzy Osbourne can proceed with his lawsuit against guitarist Tony Iommi over use of the Black Sabbath name.

Ozzy’s suit follows one filed by Tony Iommi in 2008 against Live Nation, the producers of Ozzfest. In the suit Imommi claimed that the concert producers sold merchandise carrying the Black Sabbath logo, despite the merchandising deal of nearly $80 million expiring in 2006. Iommi’s suit seeks damages of three times the profits from the merchandise sales and a halt to sales.

Also in a Spring 2009 interview both Iommi and Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler had harsh words for Ozzy, claiming the band’s creative process and professionalism was at a much higher standard with Ronnie James Dio than with Ozzy up front.

Photo credit – en_ami / gustavovara / rockandracehorses