Ozzy Osbourne sues bandmate over Black Sabbath name

Black Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne is suing former guitar player for the band, Tony Iommi, for making profits off the trademark that he didn't own, Reuters reported.

In a statement on Friday, Osbourne, 60, said that he was sorry he had gone to court over the dispute with Iommi, which he said he had tried to resolve amicably for three years.

Osbourne wants Iommi to give him his rightful share of the interest in the Black Sabbath trademark, as well as a part of the profits that Iommi made while touring under the name in the 1990s. At that time, the band was going through various lineup changes.

In 1997, however, the original four members of the band reunited, and were subsequently inducted in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame of both countries – U.K. and U.S. in 2005 and 2006.

"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 60s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing," Osbourne said.