X JAPAN Lawsuit

hide's management, HEADWAX ORGANIZATION are filing a lawsuit against YOSHIKI's management for using images of the late guitarist without a formal agreement in place.

YOSHIKI's management, Japan Music Agency, signed a contract with HEADWAX in 2000 regarding the use of visual images. When the Nissan Stadium concerts on August 14th and 15th were finalized, JMA offered to resign the contract, since it was ten years old, and it was announced that hide's images were not to be used. However, sections of hide's performances were in fact used during X and Kurenai. This dispute may spark the possible 'walk-out' of hide from the band.

It has been stated that HEADWAX is also preparing a lawsuit against Pachinko manufacturer Sankyo for using hide’s images without implementing an agreement. The lawsuit regards their new game “CR Fever X Japan”, which Sankyo was planning to introduce in the market in September.

X JAPAN, who recently appeared at Lollapalooza in front of 20,000 local rock fans in Chicago, will be on tour in North America from September 25th. The current circumstances mean that there is a possibility that hide may 'leave' the band just before the North American tour.