Global Music Rights (GMR), the boutique US performing rights organization (PRO) representing Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Prince, Drake, Pharrell Williams, the John Lennon estate, the Eagles and others, has settled its infringement lawsuit copyright against Vermont. Broadcast Association (VBA) filed in January.
According to Global Music Rights, which was founded by Irving Azoff and long PRO strain Randy Grimmett in 2013, the agency and VBA reached an agreement that includes a long-term GMR license as well as a settlement of previous alleged violations.
In January, GMR filed a lawsuit in federal court in Vermont alleging that VBA's seven radio stations — serving local communities in Northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec — had been playing 66 songs from the GMR catalog without permission since 2017. GMR further alleged in its filing that the station had committed approximately 1,600 violations of copyright law, even though PRO had submitted 10 separate written licenses during that time period. “Defendants' violations were neither random nor accidental,” lawyers for the group wrote in the complaint.
Following the settlement agreement, GMR's general counsel, Emil Ziza, said in a statement, “We are committed to protecting the rights of GMR's songwriters and composers and ensuring that entities that publicly perform their works are properly licensed. Through this lawsuit, we have accomplished those efforts and look forward to moving forward in our licensing relationship with the VBA.”
In an e-mail, VBA owner Bruce James confirmed the settlement agreement, but did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/global-music-rights-settles-lawsuit-vermont-radio-stations-group-1235657605/
