In response to reports that Bruce Springsteen was suing a Manhattan bar for playing his songs, the singer announced Thursday that the lawsuit in question was filed without his permission, The New York Times reports. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) filed a copyright infringement suit Wednesday in Manhattan Federal Court, alleging that Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant failed to pay fees when a band publicly performed two of Springsteen’s songs back in August 2008.
Springsteen was listed as a plaintiff in the suit, but the rocker maintains he had no involvement with the legal action. “ASCAP was solely responsible for naming Bruce Springsteen as a plaintiff in the lawsuit,” said Springsteen’s publicity firm in a statement. “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.”
ASCAP, BMI, and all of the other music publishing watchdogs have to be diligent to make sure they get the money that is owed. But I am heartened and impressed with Bruce Springsteen, in that he obviously does not want to bring hardship to a small business that had no intention of taking anything from him.
Bill Wilkins, CEO
Melted Metal Web Radio
http://www.meltedmetal.com/
Springsteen can sing whatever tune he likes about this but the fact of the matter is that he receives a large amount of money each year from ASCAP in exchange for exactly the practice that he is decrying. If he finds it so deplorable perhaps he should give the money back.
Pure hypocrisy
Good 1 bruce. When are you coming to Australia
They deleted my first comment so I will reiterate.
Bruce Springsteen accepts money from ASCAP every year. They collect some of this money by going in to bars and asking owners to pay for the music that they use to attract customers.
Seems only fair.
What’s not fair is for Springsteen to pretend he is against the practice while he sits huge sums of money collected in this fashion.
I’ll say it again and if they delete my comment I will come back and say it another time.
This is pure hypocrisy, he should be ashamed of himself.
No one deleted your first comment, crab. Why would it have been deleted? Even misguided opinions deserve to be expressed…twice in this case!
as bruce is god what he says goes. i cannot see a man who is a multi millionaire and with 22 albums to boot being worried about a few songs being played for publicity. if anything its nice to see big clubs and pubs playing his songs and keeping the spirit of bruce alive.