ASCAP sues bar owners over music issue

WARREN — The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has brought legal action against the owners of Gadd’s Olympic Inn, 1129 Parkman Road, N.W., for playing copyrighted music at the bar without a license.

ASCAP hired a Cleveland law firm, Baker & Hostetler LLP, which filed the action in Youngstown Federal Court on Wednesday.

The suit says the ASCAP has corresponded with the bar to tell them of their responsibilities under U.S. copyright laws, but the bar has continued to perform copyrighted music without permission during business hours.

The suit seeks to stop the bar owners from continuing the copyright infringements and monetary damages.

ASCAP is a New York City-based membership association of more than 295,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists and music publishers of every kind of music.