Los Angeles, Apr 7 (IANS): Guitarist Mick Mars, thinks his 41-year history with his band Motley Crue should not end with him facing off with the other three members in the halls of justice.

The veteran band, now down by one original member, has sued to force Mars into arbitration, looking to get a ruling that he is officially a member or shareholder, with any of the rights that confers. They contend that when he announced he was quitting touring, that amounted to a resignation, reports Variety.

Mars, 71, counter-sued contending that he didn't give up anything, at all, by announcing last fall that effects of his long standing arthritic disease made him no longer fit for the road.

He told Variety: "I don't know, and I can't say I positively know, but I have a pretty good feeling that they wanted me gone anyway. Because they've been wanting that since forever. It's just frustrating for me. I'm pretty upset that they're even pulling this crap, when I carried these bastards for years."

When asked what he expects to hear to happen from here after the lawsuit, he said: "I think that those guys are hoping that I'll just fold and lay down. Because I've done that many times. But this thing that I helped build for 41 years, I'm sorry, you're not gonna take that from me. I worked very hard for that. It's mine. I'm keeping it."

"You can't have it. Sorry. But they're well prepared, I can already tell you, because I've known them that long too. But I'm not backing down. I'm not gonna fold. And we'll see what happens. I'm most definitely not afraid of them, or intimidated or anything else", he concluded.