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Yoko Ono in New York court fight over Lennon photos John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, took the stand on Monday in a battle with the former Beatle's personal assistant over the ownership of photographs, letters and other memorabilia. Japanese-born artist Ono is suing the former assistant, Frederic Seaman, for allegedly stealing the personal articles, including 374 family photos, and selling them to make money after Lennon was shot dead by a deranged fan outside his Manhattan apartment on Dec. 8, 1980. Defense lawyer Glenn Wolther said in his opening remarks that the photographs in question belonged to Seamen and counter-charged that Ono had used a photograph taken by Seaman to help market an anthology of Lennon's music without giving him proper credit. "What this case is about is image and control of those images and the public perception of those images," said Wolther, who said he believed Ono would be answerable for damages. Ono, wearing a short navy blue blazer over tight black jeans, was called to testify at the close of the first day of the civic trial in Manhattan federal court. The one-time conceptual artist who gained world fame after her marriage to Lennon was asked her marital status after taking the stand as her son, Sean, watched from the first row. "I'm a widow. I was married from March 20, 1969 to Dec. 8, 1980," she said. "He was a member of a band called the Beatles and was a good singer, writer of songs and guitarist and published two books of poetry and was a painter as well." Ono described the various and sundry duties performed by Seaman during the three years he worked for them at their apartment and office in The Dakota apartment building, including chronicling family vacations through photographs. She also stressed how important privacy was to Lennon and herself during those years -- Sean was aged 4 when Seaman began to work for them -- and how they demanded discretion and confidentiality from their employees. CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT At the opening of the trial, Ono's attorney Paul LiCalsi said Seaman had signed a confidentiality agreement that barred him from using family belongings for personal gain during or after his employment. "This is about the trust that John and Yoko put in Fred Seaman's hand and how Mr. Seaman has betrayed their trust," LiCalsi told the eight jurors. The lawyer argued that Seaman took the photographs of Lennon as part of his employment, which began in February 1979 but ended with his dismissal by Ono three years later. Some of the photos were included in a book by Seaman, "The Last Days of John Lennon," but more than 300 of them have never been published. In 1983, Seaman pleaded guilty to grand larceny for stealing Lennon's diaries and was put on five years' probation. LiCalsi also told the jurors that 11 documents, including drafts of letters by Lennon to fellow Beatle Paul McCartney and one to famed guitarist Eric Clapton, were sold by Seaman for $75,000 over the years in violation of his employment agreement. Evidence in the trial, including the letters, was expected to reveal details of British-born Lennon's final years in New York and his sometimes tense relationship with McCartney. In one letter, Lennon attacks McCartney and his wife, Linda, for blaming his relationship with Ono for the breakup of the Beatles, widely considered the greatest band in popular music history. "I hope you realize what shit you and the rest of my kind and unselfish friends laid on Yoko & me since we have been together," Lennon's letter says.
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