Bruce Springsteen Sues Irish Pub Over Cover Band, Copyrights

Mega star and multi-millionaire Bruce Springsteen is suing an Irish pub in Midtown, Connolly's Pub & Restaurant, for copyright infringement. Why? On a night in August 2008, a band covered three Bruce songs, and the restaurant didn't pay up the proper royalties. Now they could be fined $30,000.

It may sound a tad farcical for the Boss to sue over a little misuse of "Born in the USA" (and c'mon, it's pretty ridiculous), but as it turns out, all venues that host live music are required to dole out an annual licensing fee to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, which distributes the royalties. And Connolly's isn't just some hole in the wall. It's a mini-chain across Midtown that touts its venue space as a major selling point. An ASCAP rep says they've been going after the bar for two years.
· 'Boss' strikes sour note: Bruce Springsteen sues midtown bar Connolly's for copyright infringement [NYDN]
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