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Celebrity Justice
Bon Jovi, Gwen Stefani Take (Taylor) Swift Action

Posted Nov 22nd 2009 6:55AM by TMZ Staff

Jon Bon Jovi and Gwen Stefani are following in Taylor Swift's sports-bar-crushing footsteps -- because the two pop stars are also suing a hometown drinking establishment for allegedly jacking their music.



According to a lawsuit filed in Minnesota last month, several of Gwen and Bon Jovi's compositions were publicly performed at Sally's Saloon & Eatery -- and they claim the bar never got the licensing it needed. Now Bon Jovi, Gwen, and all the other people who own copyrights to their music want the bar to pay damages ... and stop playing their songs.

This could be a crushing blow to the local watering hole -- because as we all know, a bar without Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" is like a bird without wings.

Calls to Universal Music Group weren't returned. A rep at Sally's wasn't even aware of the lawsuit.

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Tags: bon jovi, BonJovi, gwen stefani, GwenStefani, jon bon jovi, JonBonJovi, livin on a prayer, LivinOnAPrayer, sallys saloon and eatery, SallysSaloonAndEatery, universal music group, UniversalMusicGroup

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(Page 1 of 3) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

1. What next? We'll have to charge admission and send a money order to these lame-o's when someone enters our houses while we're playing music?
Thankfully I don't listen to the garbage these losers produce.
To take a page from Dr.Dre's book,I say F**K THEM.

Posted at 1:07AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by alan

2. Yeah, because all these uber-rich pieces of crap need another dollar.They're no better than Lance Ulrich and those metalicraps. Quit paying to listen or see these douchebags who have nothing in common with you and have no idea what it is to live on a budget or where their next meal or house payment will come from, and you all do it . They don't care for you and never will. There's plenty of great free music and video talent available on the web, just take a second to look for it and spit on the spoiled celebrity babies. They do on you!

Posted at 1:26AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Larry Hagman

3. Previous comment10:22 PST, will see how long if ever it takes to receive permission to post.

Posted at 1:25AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Larry Hagman

4. i like LANCE ulrich. Lars armstrong is pretty cool, too.

Posted at 1:51AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by SUPER CHICKEN

5. Get all of Gwen's and Taylor's clothes at http://www.outfitid.com/

Posted at 3:15AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Tiffany

6. that's so stupid, they're making a fortune already and already have plenty of money. what's the need to sue small bars and businesses for even more money these "artists" don't need. and I'm sure they (the bars/businesses) are completely unaware about the royalites and wouldn't even play them if they knew about it. so stupid.

Posted at 4:03AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Juliana B.

7. Go ahead screw us like every government in the world. Or are you supposed to?

Posted at 4:13AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by penna

8. It is the record company not the artist themselves..I live in minnesota and its funny cause this place is a dive ...... lmfoa.......I mean redneck !!!!!!lol lol lol lol

Posted at 5:30AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by republican mensa

9. Wouldn't it be funny if he went after the poor bars in New Orleans next? The place where he has done so much good. I thought Jon was a Democrat..share the wealth don't steal it ya douche bag!

Posted at 5:51AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Julie

10.
Wouldn't it be funny if he went after the poor Bars in New Orleans
next? The place where he has done so much good?
He's acting like a true Democrat that he is..LOSER!

Posted at 5:55AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Julie

11. The ultra-rich going after a small business owners on a song. You'd think that the artist would be honored that someone was playing there songs. Like there are not enough bands and songs

Posted at 8:26AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Wha' Wha' Wha' What

12. This is not the ONLY reason I do not listen to these greedy peoples music, but is is a GOOD REASON. Part of it is the greed of the entire music cabal.

Posted at 11:59AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Jake

13. So the bar forgot it's ASCAP/BMI dues. Now these "celebrities" want to put them out of business. Time for a boycott?

Posted at 8:31AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Bob

14. TMZ is that organization that you studied in college in Journalistic Ethics 101. They are everything wrong about our press.

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BMI is an organization, actually owned and created by broadcasters to collect fees for writers for their music. BMI may be suing a bar. Taylor Swift or Brad Paisley or Toby Keith individually would never do that.

At no time would an artist ever individually sue a bar. Does not make sense to pay a lawyer thousands of dollars to get pennies because they played a song 10 times. But BMI has a bigger stake when they aggregate their artists.

So I doubt Taylor or anyone else is suing the bar.

Do some research before you use TMZ. I was a journalist and that might be my first rule if I ever got back into it.

You should know that quoting TMZ is like asking the scum on the bottom of your boot. In Journalism, they are the lowest form of plant life. So why would you ever quote them? Does it make sense to you that an artist would spend one dime on suing a bar that might have to pay less than $200 to play music for an entire year. When music is the basis for their business, they are supposed to pay something.

But to use TMZ as a source and not call BMI. That is beautiful. As a former journalist, I am amazed.

They get clicks when they bash Chicks.

This time it is Taylor who is "an exibit" as apparently they must have heard her music in the bar. They will pick another girl next time if they think it will drive clicks to their site.

Posted at 8:34AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by Matt

15. I bet they are going after them for an unbelievable amount of money. I remember reading somewhere some kid stole like 16 songs off the net and he has to pay something like a million dollars for doing it. It's not chump change that these industries get for what is considered stolen music. Especially going after a bar that has played countless songs.

It's probably a whole new money making business for these record companies.

Posted at 8:41AM on Nov 22nd 2009 by biddy

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