Love, Piece, and Karaoke

            Publishing and copyright are major portions of the music business, and Sony and BMI are taking a stand on copyright infringement right now for those reasons. Wicker Park pizzeria, Piece, is being sued for copyright infringement while a karaoke band has played a few of their songs to allow those that choose them to sing them while enjoying their time at the venue. Sony has gotten word of this and feel that a lawsuit is the best way to handle this. I understand that publishing rights and copyright law are very important, however, I don’t feel that it needs to be taken this far. The bar could either pay Sony a small amount of their karaoke profit, or they can cease to play the songs, however, it seems as though this would have to happen in all karaoke bars across the world.

            I’ve been into karaoke bars and wouldn’t assume that they have any copyright licensing to play certain songs, however, they do. I imagine that some of those songs were from Sony or BMI. Do they go out and seek every bar that plays their songs for the entertainment of their patrons while performing karaoke? Do they only file suit against those that their workers go into and come back advising them that its happening? Why focus on one bar instead of many?

            I feel that Sony is making an example out of this pizzeria; however, I also feel that, though they are making an example of them, they can also lighten up. Word will get around to other karaoke bars and maybe this will lessen, or businesses will be more prone to purchase licenses. Sony and BMI have a point, but from what I’m reading from the Chicago Sun-Times, the bar has not changed up and has continued to play the songs, with which I see their point, also. They aren’t profiting off of these songs in particular, but the idea of karaoke night, so it seems as though this is a game of tug-o-war in which Sony is being somewhat a bully, but both should reconsider what they are doing.