A music licensing giant has sued one of Maine’s first craft brew pubs in federal court alleging that it has violated copyright laws by failing to pay licensing fees for music performed there.
Broadcast Music Inc. and five of the songwriters it represents sued Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub, located at 396 Fore St. in Portland’s Old Port, and owners Richard A. Pfeffer and J. Edward Stebbins Jr. on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland.
Broadcast Music Inc. and the artists are seeking an injunction to stop Gritty’s from infringing on copyrighted materials along with unspecified damages and attorney fees.
The licensing firm has been granted the right to license public performance rights for approximately 15 million copyrighted musical compositions, according to the complaint.
Gritty’s was founded in 1988 and was one of Maine’s first craft brew pubs.
Stebbins said Wednesday that he had not received a copy of the lawsuit but that the business has regularly paid music licensing fees for the more than 30 years it’s been in business.
The lawsuit does not include Gritty’s other locations in Freeport and Auburn.
The complaint alleges that Gritty’s willfully infringed on copyrighted material seven times during public performances at the bar on May 18 and 19, 2019.
Broadcast Music Inc. has reached out to Gritty’s and its owners more than 65 times by phone, mail and email since August 2018, the lawsuit says. Those communications have included “cease and desist” notices, but the infringement continued, the complaint said.
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Gritty McDuff’s violated music copyright laws at Old Port pub, suit says
