Playing music in a bar or restaurant seems simple enough, but that's exactly what the focus of Swizz Beatz's lawsuit is. Behind the scenes, every song carries legal obligations that can become expensive when they're ignored. That's the center of a new federal lawsuit filed against Boatyard Lake Norman, where several music publishers, along with Swizz Beatz, allege the North Carolina venue repeatedly played copyrighted music without obtaining the required public performance license.
According to the complaint, as reported by WCNC News, ASCAP spent years attempting to bring the business into compliance through phone calls, emails, letters, and licensing offers before the dispute reached federal court. The lawsuit alleges that those efforts were unsuccessful, leading the organization and several rights holders to pursue legal action against Hello Bye, LLC and its owner, Christopher S. Boukedes. Among the songs specifically identified in the filing are DMX's "Party Up (Up In Here)," House of Pain's "Jump Around," Rick James' "Party All the Time," and WALK THE MOON's "Shut Up and Dance," all of which were allegedly performed at the venue on November 30, 2024.
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Plaintiffs Seek Damages
The plaintiffs are asking the court to permanently prohibit Boatyard Lake Norman from publicly performing ASCAP-represented music without first obtaining the proper license. They are also seeking statutory damages of up to $30,000 for each copyrighted work identified in the lawsuit, along with attorney's fees and court costs.
The complaint further alleges the unauthorized performances extended beyond the four songs cited in the filing, suggesting the alleged infringement occurred on multiple occasions rather than during a single night.
