In the shimmering heart of Las Vegas, a legal battle sings through the air, as Sybersound Records strikes a $264 million lawsuit against the glamorous Kamu Ultra Karaoke, nestled within the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. The lawsuit, humming with accusations of copyright infringement, strikes a sour note against the opulence of Kamu’s private rooms, which can fetch up to $4,000 for nightly revelries post 10 p.m.
Sybersound, a label ensconced under the widespread umbrella of Universal Music Group, alleges that the Vegas Strip haven has been streaming its instrumental music without proper authorization. Their roster, no small affair, boasts 75,000 instrumental renditions of hits from chart-topping artists—Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to Bruno Mars and Rihanna.
Since its inception in July 2020, Kamu Ultra Karaoke has allegedly pirouetted through the legal lines, playing Sybersound’s catalog of tunes, ever popular among the karaoke crowd but firmly bound by copyright laws. The lounge extends its hospitality across 40 decadent rooms, large enough to accommodate between 6 to 40 patrons, a veritable chorus of singers who might now find their choice of tracks somewhat limited should the lawsuit triumph.
Sybersound’s counsel, Peter Haviland, has been vocal, delineating the divide between the personal joys of karaoke at home and the profitable commercial exploitation of musical tracks. The record company’s plea to the court extends beyond compensation, seeking to silence Kamu’s use of their copyrighted materials.
The legal complaint doesn’t halt at the threshold of Kamu Ultra Karaoke; it stretches its accusatory fingers towards the club’s owner Jeff Kim, the Venetian’s parent company Apollo Global Management Inc., and even the operator of Grand Canal Shoppes, Brookfield Properties. Apollo, caught in this crossfire, has dismissed claims against them as publicity stunts, considering their distance from operational control—a sentiment echoed amidst the recent layoffs of living statues and musical performers by Brookfield Properties much to the tourist’s surprise.
As this discordant symphony plays out in the US District Court for the Central District of California, the world of entertainment and copyright law listen keenly, awaiting the denouement of this multi-million-dollar orchestra of litigations.
