Bruce Springsteen: Not My Lawsuit

MYFOXNY.COM -- Bruce Spingsteen said he knew nothing about a lawsuit filed in his name against a Manhattan pub where a band played three of his hits.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers sued Connolly's Pub & Restaurant on West 45th Street for copyright infringement, claiming that the pub charges entrance fees when bands play but doesn't pay licensing fees for the music.

ASCAP filed the lawsuit and named Springsteen as the plaintiff.

But when news of the lawsuit broke, the New Jersey rock legend said waitaminute.

"Bruce Springsteen had no knowledge of this lawsuit, was not asked if he would participate as a named plaintiff, and would not have agreed to do so if he had been asked," said Shore Fire Media, the rocker's PR company. "Upon learning of this lawsuit this morning, Bruce Springsteen's representatives demanded the immediate removal of his name from the lawsuit."

ASCAP, meantime, said the lawsuit isn't just about Springsteen or other rich rockers.

"This is all about songwriter rights. For every well known artist, there are hundreds of songwriters who must depend on performing right royalties for their livelihood," ASCAP said in a statement. "Connolly's has been performing copyrighted music without permission for over 2 years. They have been contacted 19 times about their music use with no result. We pursue legal action only as a last resort."

ASCAP says that bars and restaurants that collect cover charges for live music acts must pay an annual licensing fee.

Fox 5 News called Connolly's for comment. An employee said the manager is on vacation until next week.