|
Beatport & AM Only getting sued...
|
View this Thread in Original format
| DjWoody |
Beatport & AM Only getting sued. Read the PDF file. It's interesting and it gives you an insight as to the extents Beatport & AM Only go to manipulate and monopolize the scene.
::: LINK :::
http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/...s_suit_agai.php
::: STORY :::
Regas Christou files suit against Beta owner Brad Roulier, Beatport and AM Only
By Dave Herrera, Thu., Dec. 2 2010 @ 12:21PM
Hot on the heels of a profile in 5280 magazine, nightclub impresario Regas Christou has made some real news: He's filed suit against Beatport, Brad Roulier, Beta and AM Only. While we haven't had a chance to pore over the entire brief, which was filed yesterday in U.S. District Court, it appears that Christou, through his lawyer, Jeffrey Vail, is demanding a jury trial seeking "damages and injunctive relief for unlawful and anti-competitive practices."
In the filing, Christou levels a host of allegations against Beta, his primary competitor, owned by Brad Roulier, his former talent buyer, as well as Beatport, a company that Roulier co-founded (and Christou allegedly helped stake early on) and AM Only, the New York-based electronic-centric booking agent. Among other infractions, Christou alleges attempted monopolization, conspiracy to monopolize and theft of trade secrets.
In the case, Christou is essentially claiming that Roulier and company attempted to freeze him out of the dance-music business by leveraging Beatport's relationships with artists to negotiate exclusive engagements and thus exclude Christou from booking those same artists.
While there have been a variety of clubs over the years catering to dance music, until Beta opened in March 2008 (in the former home of Rise), Christou's clubs -- Vinyl, the Church, Two:AM, Funky Buddha and Shelter -- were ground zero for most mainstream dance music in Denver.
During that period, Roulier booked many of the acts for Christou. When he branched out on his own, the suit charges, Roulier took advantage of the knowledge, expertise and relationships he'd developed while in Christou's employ.
There's obviously much more to this story, and we'll be offering periodic updates. In the meantime, you can read yesterday's filing below. |
|
|
| Storyteller |
Interesting.
If deemed valid by court I'd say Rolier is the one that is out of line. I work for a Dutch dance music (and nightlife/culture/lifestyle) magazine (next to running my own little company). If I'd leave them and would use their network for my own benefits I'd be in real trouble.
I see it even goes way beyond things mentioned in the summary. Very interesting indeed. |
|
|
| EddieZilker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Storyteller
Interesting.
If deemed valid by court I'd say Rolier is the one that is out of line. I work for a Dutch dance music (and nightlife/culture/lifestyle) magazine (next to running my own little company). If I'd leave them and would use their network for my own benefits I'd be in real trouble.
I see it even goes way beyond things mentioned in the summary. Very interesting indeed. |
I used to live there and know about the Church, which has been a long-standing night-club within an actual church. That place has been through thick and thin, to include one or more shootings (I think it's two) after-hours, and some rough publicity when the owner had a falling out with a bouncer he had a medical-bill relief benefit for.
I'm pretty sure Vinyl started up right around the time I left. Those are just the mega-mainstream clubs they're talking about. There are/were numerous, smaller and/or lesser known venues, in the Denver Metro area which cater to EDM/Techno crowds. A decision in SOCO's favor could be doing them a huge service.
Well, I'm on page 30 of the claim. The counter-claim could be interesting reading... |
|
|
| EddieZilker |
Well, I just finished reading it. Damn!
They're invoking RICO. Maybe SOCO is just throwing to the wall to see what sticks, but it reads better than the FBI claim against that Russian honeypot and her henchmen.
's just got serious. |
|
|
| brucelee6783 |
| No offense, this is just a polite suggestion, but I don't see how this is directly related or appropriate to production, and you may want to instead post this in another forum next time. Plus, it will get more hits because the main forums have more users browsing than in the production studio. |
|
|
| Mad for Brad |
| Beatport is American ? well that would explain all the bad music. |
|
|
| Nightshift |
| quote: | Originally posted by Mad for Brad
Beatport is American ? well that would explain all the bad music. |
epic |
|
|
| DjWoody |
| quote: | Originally posted by brucelee6783
No offense, this is just a polite suggestion, but I don't see how this is directly related or appropriate to production, and you may want to instead post this in another forum next time. Plus, it will get more hits because the main forums have more users browsing than in the production studio. |
None taken, but Beatport is discussed in the production forum all the time. That's one reason why it's relevant. Another one is because on the lawsuit it alleges how Beatport threatens to pull artists out of the Beatport site if they don't sign exclusivity agreements with them. I'm sure a lot of us would like to one day sell on Beatport. |
|
|
| Mad for Brad |
| why don't they just solve this the old fashion way with a promoter/gang turf war. Are you telling me that these clubs don't have some sort of ties to some criminal organization. I mean strippers need a place to unwind and escorts need a place to get late hour clientele. You'd think the Hell Angels would just step in and spank both parties. |
|
|
| brucelee6783 |
| quote: | Originally posted by DjWoody
None taken, but Beatport is discussed in the production forum all the time. That's one reason why it's relevant. Another one is because on the lawsuit it alleges how Beatport threatens to pull artists out of the Beatport site if they don't sign exclusivity agreements with them. I'm sure a lot of us would like to one day sell on Beatport. |
I didn't see it that way, but I'm glad you pointed it out.
I've been wanting to sell my own tracks on BP for quite some time now, but stuff like this makes me second guess myself. Plus, I've heard they keep a lot of the producers cut. |
|
|
| Storyteller |
| 40%+additional fees. Roughly averaging at about 50%. |
|
|
|
|
