Buckhead Bar Sued for Playing Music Without License

A bar in Buckhead has been sued by a group representing musicians for not purchasing a license to play their songs at the bar, a copyright violation.

Moondogs has been in the crosshairs of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 2012, with ASCAP representatives attempting to contact the bar to amend the situation. Failing to reach a solution, ASCAP pulled out its trump card and filed an infringement lawsuit against Moondogs and 16 other businesses at the end of August, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

“Music is enormously valuable to bars and restaurants, creating an emotional connection with patrons and providing the right ambience to attract and retain customers,” commented ASCAP Executive Vice President of Licensing Vincent Candilora in an Aug. 25 statement.

“Hundreds of thousands of well-run businesses across the nation recognize the importance of paying music creators to use their music, and understand that it is both the lawful and right thing to do. However, each of the establishments sued today has decided to use music without compensating songwriters. By filing these actions, ASCAP is standing up for songwriters whose creative work brings great value to all businesses that publicly perform their music.”

An ASCAP spokesperson told the AJC that most of their lawsuits are settled out of court, with the business agreeing to pay for a license and paying a penalty for playing music without authorization. According to ASCAP, a license costs roughly $2 a day. The license allows businesses to legally play some 10 million musical works.