Re: [Harp-L] ASCAP Lawsuits



Bill Kumpe wrote:

Last month, ASCAP filed 21 lawsuits against live music venues

How much does this concern you guys who gig for a living and how do you
approach the issue with the club owners?

I've played a few places that told me I could only play originals, which is fine by me because I only play originals. Well, I play a few re-imagined covers, too, but I wanted to write that last sentence that way, so I lied. I left them off my songlist at those clubs without licenses. I'm not currently a member of a performing rights org. More on this at the bottom.


If I played in more unlicensed places it'd be a great excuse to not play requests, except from those rabid fans who know and request my own material. They are my true love in any case.

(Breakfast Special, an incredibly funny band back in the 70's, dealt with requests in the following fashion: Somebody'd yell out a request, say "Do Free Bird." Then whoever was introducing the next number would say "Now we're going to do Free Bird." And then they'd play whatever the hell they were gonna play in the first place.)

As to how you'd approach the issue with the club owners, I'd not do that. If they don't bring it up, assume that they have paid their ASCAP and BMI licensing fees for the year, or love paying those hefty fines. It is not your responsibility until you are told to only play originals.

Here's the big deal: only playing your own originals won't do the unlicensed club owner lick of good if you are a member of ASCAP or BMI. You are not supposed to play your licensed material at a club that doesn't pay for licenses. I get the sense that those fines are a nice profit center for the performance rights orgs, and they send their goons out all over America, so beware if you fit the bill as described in this paragraph.




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