Music company claims Independence bar is playing its songs without a license: lawsuit
An Independence sports bar and live music venue is being sued in federal court by a New York-based music license company for allegedly playing songs without paying for the rights.
Earlier this month Broadcast Music Inc., or BMI, filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Missouri against Score Sports Bar & Grill at 9100 E. 35th Street for allegedly playing songs without buying a license from the company. It is suing under the federal Copyright Act, which requires businesses to obtain permission to play copyrighted works.
Among the songs allegedly performed in violation of the law are “Jolene” by Dolly Parton and “Heartaches by the Number” from Harlan Howard. A message left with bar owner Lori Burroughs has not been returned.
Over the past three years, the lawsuit alleges that the bar has been made aware through mailed notices and other means that the company owns the rights to the songs. The company says 43 attempts were made to get the bar licensed before the lawsuit was filed.
In a statement, BMI spokeswoman Jodie Thomas said legal action is only taken “as the very last resort.” She said the bar has been hosting multiple live music events and playing the company’s licensed songs for years without permission.
“We want music to benefit everyone which is why we spend so much time educating businesses about the value that music brings to their establishment, the requirements of copyright law, and the importance of maintaining a music license,” Thomas said. “Most establishments recognize this and choose to feature music because they understand the value that it adds to their business and the ambiance that it creates for their customers.”
According to its website, BMI represents more than 1 million songwriters and has the license to nearly 19 million songs.
