Eric Church battles unapproved vendors at U.S. shows
By Pankaj Ladhar of Manos • Alwine P.L.
A popular singer has filed a lawsuit against a group of traveling unlicensed vendors who sell products at his concerts. Eric Church, a well-known country rocker, says that the vendors are distributing unofficial merchandise at concert sites throughout the nation. They hide, run away, or discard the goods when they are approached by Church’s employees, the lawsuit says. Church is currently promoting his Blood, Sweat and Beers tour.
Court documents that were filed in U.S. District Court earlier this year assert that the vendors are causing huge financial losses for both the star and his group of employees. The vendors are selling items with Church’s image and name at the events. The lawsuit is pursuing a federal court order that will allow the seizure of unlicensed goods at concert locations. This, Church’s attorneys say, will halt the de facto theft of innumerable sums of money from the singer’s coffers. Church says that he is also concerned about the counterfeit merchandise damaging his reputation and image.
Church is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the case, and he also is pursuing an injunction to stop the production and sale of the counterfeit items. Church has also battled ticket scalpers, who purchase tickets at low prices and then sell them on the concert grounds for profit. Church says that he was shocked at the rapidity with which the scalpers sold the tickets, but he is optimistic about overall ticket sales for his shows. He says that he doesn’t mind pursuing legal action against these offenders to protect his workers and his own reputation.
Church is currently touring in locations throughout the East Coast.
Source: The Boot, “Eric Church Lawsuit Aims to Stop Illegal Concert Vendors,” Gayle Thompson, March 15, 2012