Shooting a band_-Music Nightmare?

[Mike Cohen]

years ago a local guy made some videos which he sold of some no-name bands which performed at his ski slope in the Summer.
Although he supposedly had a contract with the bands, at the time the bands probably did not know what they were signing. Those same bands years later became household names (no names mentioned of course) and of course sued.

You never know what the future holds.

Mike

[Peter Ralph]

Mike

what state did this happen in?

[Fixer Aka robert smith]

“So would just playing in a cover band alone be considered an illegal act if not cleared by the original artists?”

No, as long as the venue has an ASCAP/BMI/SESAC performance rights license. Same basic license needed to have a jukebox or play the radio at a bar.

That covers the performance of a cover band, but it would not cover the recordings of that performance. This is where publishing rights come in, using a service such as Diamond Time. https://www.diamondtime.net/