A Bristol restaurant has become the latest target of a copyright lawsuit from a New York licensing agency that sues bars and other entertainment venues for playing unlicensed music.
Bleachers Sports Bar & Restaurant, located at 300 Middle St., was sued earlier this month in Connecticut federal court by licensing giant Broadcast Music Inc. for playing eight unlicensed songs at its eatery in February, court records show.
BMI said its copyright infringement suit was a result of Bleacher’s “unauthorized performance” of licensed songs including hits like “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by the Rolling Stones and Rivers Cuomo’s “Say it Ain’t So.”
BMI said the restaurant’s music — played Feb. 28 — qualified as a public performance, which, under federal copyright law, means Bleachers must pay for the rights to play the songs, court records say.
Bleachers didn’t return a call seeking comment on the suit. BMI is looking for monetary damages, court records say.
The Hartford Business Journal reported earlier this year that three Connecticut restaurants, including Greater Hartford’s Plan B Burger Bar, were involved in music copyright infringement suits with BMI.
Since 2012 at least eight other eateries have settled suits with BMI, or had judges rule against them, court records show.
BMI, which represents the families of artists like Johnny Cash and about 600,000 other clients, has nearly 9.5 million songs in its catalog and brought in $944 million in licensing revenue last year.
The New York-based company has been suing restaurants in Connecticut and beyond since at least the 1980s, court records show.
