Swizz Beatz has joined a federal copyright lawsuit accusing a North Carolina beachfront venue of playing DMX songs without proper permission.
Swizz Beatz and several music publishers have joined a federal copyright lawsuit against a popular North Carolina beachfront venue, accusing the establishment of playing copyrighted songs for years without obtaining proper licenses or paying royalties.
Lake Norman Boatyard and owner Chris Bookedes are accused of publicly performing copyrighted music, according to a complaint filed last Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) claimed that they tried to obtain a licensing agreement but were unsuccessful.
Songs cited in the lawsuit include the DMX song “Party Up (Up in Here),” co-written by Swizz Beatz. The lawsuit also cites the hit songs “Jump around,” “Party All the Time” and “Shut Up and Dance,” with publishers associated with those works joining the legal action.
The complaint alleges that ASCAP representatives attempted to contact the Lake Norman Shipyard through phone calls, emails and mailed letters for years. They insisted they wanted to provide a license that would allow the venue to legally play music from the ASCAP catalog. They claim the offers were repeatedly rejected.
The lawsuit alleges that the venue continued to publicly perform songs owned by ASCAP members.
Plaintiffs include music publishers associated with the tracks in question, including Universal Music Group affiliates and other rights holders. They are seeking statutory damages of up to $30,000 for the alleged violations cited in the complaint.
Bookeders is a veteran in the nightlife scene and has operated several businesses in the area over the years. He had previously been associated with the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson and later with the Galway H###### pub in Cornelius, a well-known Irish-style establishment built in Ireland and shipped to North Carolina for assembly.
The lawsuit against BoatYard Lake Norman is one of about a dozen copyright infringement lawsuits filed nationwide this week on behalf of ASCAP members against bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.
ASCAP Executive Vice President of Licensing Stephanie Ruyle criticized companies for continuing to use copyrighted music without obtaining appropriate licenses.
“Each of the institutions sued today chose to infringe on the hard work of songwriters rather than license the music they played, despite repeated notices and opportunities to do so,” Ruyle said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.
