Springsteen sues NYC bar over cover songs

[Alpha Mare]

NEW YORK (AP) - Bruce Springsteen is suing a Manhattan pub, saying it failed to pay an annual licensing fee to an organization that distributes royalty payments to artists.

Springsteen claims the pub violated his copyrights by letting an unidentified band perform two of his songs for profit.

http://www.neworleans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=323782&Itemid=1387

 

I remember a few years ago, he reneged on a horse contract for his kid. $850,000 top-level jumper- too much horse for the kid. BS claimed the horse wasn't good enuf for her, finally settled and let the owner keep the horse. Horse and rider have been top ranked every year since.

[longview]

Sounds like he's drank too much of his own kool-aid.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

http://www.neworleans.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=323782&Itemid=1387

 

I remember a few years ago, he reneged on a horse contract for his kid. $850,000 top-level jumper- too much horse for the kid. BS claimed the horse wasn't good enuf for her, finally settled and let the owner keep the horse. Horse and rider have been top ranked every year since.

How can he actually do this? Bar bands have been doing covers since there were bars! I wonder how many times Bruce was sued for doing a Roy Orbison song at The Stone Pony in Jersey in the early 70s?

[Splashdown]

How can he actually do this? Bar bands have been doing covers since there were bars! I wonder how many times Bruce was sued for doing a Roy Orbison song at The Stone Pony in Jersey in the early 70s?

The artist isn't being sued, the bar is. Bars have to pay a fee to licensing groups to have music played in their venues.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

The artist isn't being sued, the bar is. Bars have to pay a fee to licensing groups to have music played in their venues.

From what i remember playing in a band back in the late 80s early 90s that was never enforced in the bars here in Detroit! Bruce is being a petty prick here in my opinion!

[BlueStateSaint]

I saw this on Springsteen's official website . . .

In regards to the ASCAP lawsuit against Connolly's Pub and Restaurant, ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.  Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked.  Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit.

Not sure what this says about Springsteen and ASCAP, but it looks to me as if maybe ASCAP was trying to get Springsteen to join the suit after the fact.  I actually think that, if this uproar hadn't been there, he might have joined the suit.  Even though I love Springsteen's music, there would have been no way I'd have agreed to his side in a suit.

[Splashdown]

From what i remember playing in a band back in the late 80s early 90s that was never enforced in the bars here in Detroit! Bruce is being a petty prick here in my opinion!

Not saying I disagree with you, but there have been a few bars in the Philly area hit with suits from ASCAP and BMI for copyright infringement in the past few years.

It's not the band's responsibility--it's the bar owner's.

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

I saw this on Springsteen's official website . . .

Not sure what this says about Springsteen and ASCAP, but it looks to me as if maybe ASCAP was trying to get Springsteen to join the suit after the fact.  I actually think that, if this uproar hadn't been there, he might have joined the suit.  Even though I love Springsteen's music, there would have been no way I'd have agreed to his side in a suit.

Yeah! Can't say i blame Bruce. I wouldn't want anything to do with this at all....Horrible PR!

[Toastedturningtidelegs]

Not saying I disagree with you, but there have been a few bars in the Philly area hit with suits from ASCAP and BMI for copyright infringement in the past few years.

It's not the band's responsibility--it's the bar owner's.

I understand Splash. I know the owners of the bars we used to play at and they never said anything about being sued because we did covers there and they never asked for a set list to determine who they had to pay! Very strange. I understand this if you are going to record someone else's music and make a profit but just playing it in a bar? How many bars can be sued for having Karaoke if that is the case?

[Splashdown]

I understand Splash. I know the owners of the bars we used to play at and they never said anything about being sued because we did covers there and they never asked for a set list to determine who they had to pay! Very strange. I understand this if you are going to record someone else's music and make a profit but just playing it in a bar? How many bars can be sued for having Karaoke if that is the case?

Usually, they pay a fee that covers everything--not just band specific stuff. As long as you pay the fee, you can play jukebox stuff, or karaoke, or bands can play covers. One fee covers everything. At least that's how I understand it.

So as long as you pay the licensing fee, you can have bands, or karaoke, or whatever. You don't have to look at a band's set list.

[Alpha Mare]

Yeah! Can't say i blame Bruce. I wouldn't want anything to do with this at all....Horrible PR!

That's why he finally settled in the horse case- bad PR, and no support from the crowd he was trying to impress. 

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

So much for the "champion of the working man" facade.

Remind me why dems never go after Hollywood the way they go after Wall Street.

[Alpha Mare]

So much for the "champion of the working man" facade.

Remind me why dems never go after Hollywood the way they go after Wall Street.

That's where their gods live and dispense their vast knowledge. 

[thundley4]

I know a guy that does DJ work, and in most cases he is responsible for paying the fees to ASCAP.  Of course, most of his digital music was free.

[ColonialMarine0431]

So much for the "champion of the working man" facade.

Yup. That bullshit publicity facade disappeared a long time ago.

[PatriotGame]

I hate BS. Never really liked much of his music either.
Just another east coast elitist liberal that THINKS he knows what is best for the middle class underlings.
That is why I use Bit Torrent to download his music. I never listen to it, just download it.
Yea, I am kind of an ass like that.

[thundley4]

I hate BS. Never really liked much of his music either.
Just another east coast elitist liberal that THINKS he knows what is best for the middle class underlings.
That is why I use Bit Torrent to download his music. I never listen to it, just download it.
Yea, I am kind of an ass like that.

I wouldn't waste the bandwidth to download his music.