Bar owners, they’re listening: A group of 23 record labels, including BMI, Universal, Sony and Paul Simon Music, filed a lawsuit April 9 in U.S. District Court in Portland against the owners of Coyote’s Bar & Grill in Hillsboro. The labels allege 13 instances of “willful copyright infringement” when the bar allegedly played songs last November without paying licensing fees. Said songs include: “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “The Only Living Boy in New York” by Paul Simon and “Snow (Hey Oh)” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Statutory damages under U.S. copyright law range from $750 to $150,000 per infringement. Coyote’s co-owner Wanda Hemenway declined to comment. A BMI spokeswoman says it gave Coyote’s many chances to pay fees before filing suit.
