SOCAN sues Air Canada Centre re: music performance fees

From the Toronto Star:

A trade group wants concerts barred at the Air Canada Centre until the arena's owners start paying music industry dues.

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is suing Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. in federal court over the company's refusal to pay tariffs related to concerts staged by artists such as Placido Domingo, Kim Mitchell and rapper Lil Bow Wow.

According to Canada's Copyright Act, concert promoters are obligated to pay a tariff to SOCAN based on money generated from ticket sales. Tariffs can be as much as 3 per cent of gross ticket sales, and much of the money paid to SOCAN by promoters is then distributed to its 80,000 members, who include composers, lyricists, songwriters and music publishers who own the copyright to the music in Canada.

SOCAN is requesting an injunction barring Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from holding concerts at the ACC but it's unclear when a judge might rule on that. The trade group's allegations have not been proven in court.

In an interview, MLSE general counsel Robin Brudner argued the company isn't a concert promoter at all, merely a venue. "All we have received has been rent," Brudner said yesterday. In the instances where the company has paid SOCAN a tariff, it's been because it was directed to do so by concert promoters. "That came out of their share," she said.

Read the full article...

(via Digital Copyright Canada)

GameOps.com: The value of a mascot

"From The Sports Business Journal: Feb. 13-19, 2006 Volume 8 Issue 40 page 11, a quote from an interview with Cal Ripken, Jr. “It pains me to say this, but [in the minor leagues] our mascot is more important than our shortstop.”

Read on at the GameOps.com blog...

GameOps.com: Lemons to lemonade

Two good recent posts on the GameOps.com blog, about making lemonade from lemons:

#1 Pest Control: "After Timberwolves guard Ricky Davis' recent reference to the Portland Trail Blazers as “roaches,” Fridley-based Plunkett’s Pest Control bought 200 tickets for Tuesday’s game against Portland at Target Center. The pest control employees wore their green uniform jackets, minus the spray devices, and were well-behaved in their seats near the rafters." Read more...

#2 Hockey Gear: "Last year Everett Silvertips (WHL) coach Kevin Constantine made his team ride home on the bus in their full hockey gear following a “poor effort” during a pre-season game (Constantine was suspended for four games and fined $5,000 for the stunt). Trying to put a lighter spin on the situation, the Silvertips recently held a promotion where any fan that dressed in full hockey gear received free admission to the game."Read more...

Another bonus link from the GameOps.com: Long Beach Ice Dogs host a Desparate Housewives Night ... and hand out thongs at the door.

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Mascot profiles on hlog blog

If you're an NHL mascot fan, check out these posts from hlog (Hockey's Ladies of Greatness):

• Youppi
• Stanley C. Panther
• Harvey the Hound
• Stormy
• Sabretooth
• Spartacat
• Fin
• Carlton The Bear
• Wild Wing
• Slapshot
  

Detroit Red Wings are getting a new scoreboard

From Kukla's Korner: "During tonight’s Wings-Canucks broadcast, Ken Daniels announced that the Red Wings will be replacing their scoreboard’s four blocks of 9 big-screen TVs with 4 LED displays."

Boston Bruins 1942 post-game ceremony

It's not very often we read about hockey entertainment from the 1940's. Here's a good story for Remembrance Day, from the Boston Bruins web site, about a post-game ceremony on February 11, 1942:

On February 11, 1942, the Bruins' famous Kraut Line…received an emotional send-off at the Boston Garden following a pasting of the Montreal Canadiens…After the Bruins racked up 22 points in goals and assists (the Kraut Line accounted for half of them) in an 8-1 thrashing of the Habs, it was time to say goodbye to the boys -- they had signed up for active service with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Applause filled the building as the three linemates were presented with paychecks for the remainder of the season -- plus a handsome bonus…Then, putting bitter rivalries aside, the Montreal players joined the Bruins in hoisting the three air force recruits onto their shoulders and carrying them to the exit. Read more...

(via Kukla's Korner)

Colorado Avalanche Veteran's Day ceremony

The Colorado Avalanche have a creative way to handle their Veteran's Day ceremony this year:

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club will honor four distinguished U.S. war veterans at its game with the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night in advance of Veterans Day on November 11.

The Avalanche will introduce four US World War II veterans, representing each of the two theaters of operation.

* Ed Tipper – D-Day veteran and member of 101st Airborne Division, 506th Easy Company, an original member of the “Band of Brothers”
* Bill Brunger – Served with the 75th Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge
* James Blaine – Served with the 4th Marines Division that was in the first wave of units to land at Iwo Jima
* Robert Lowe – Served with the 6th Marines Division and is a veteran of battles at Guam, Saipan and Okinawa

(Via Kukla's Korner)