BMI, Publishers Settle Infringement Claims vs. Va. Brewery-Restaurant

BMI and six major music publishers reached a settlement with Solace Outpost, a brewery-restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, and its owner, Ian Hilton, to resolve copyright infringement allegations that musical compositions in the BMI repertoire were performed publicly there without a license (see 2311200002), said the plaintiffs’ status report Friday (docket 1:23-cv-01572) in U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia in Alexandria. Under the terms of that settlement agreement, the plaintiffs will file a voluntary stipulation of dismissal once the payments made under the agreement have cleared, which the plaintiffs believe will be by April 30, said the report. The complaint alleged four claims of willful copyright infringement against Hilton and the establishment.