Overview
- Garry Peterson, Jim Kale, and booking firm BiCoastal Productions filed the federal complaint on January 28 in Manhattan seeking multimillion-dollar damages for alleged losses.
- The plaintiffs say BMI’s chief legal officer told them during an April 6, 2024 soundcheck that Burton Cummings’ termination was effective immediately, prompting the cancellation of that night’s show and the rest of their U.S. dates.
- They contend BMI misread the termination’s effective date, arguing the agreement should have remained in force during a notice period that would have allowed the tour to proceed.
- The suit asserts that, if immediate termination was valid, BMI’s blanket licensing model fails performers and venues by allowing sudden rights revocations, and it lists claims including breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, interference, and fraud.
- Cummings and Randy Bachman later acquired the Guess Who trademark and have begun their Takin’ It Back reunion tour in Niagara Falls, while BMI had not issued a public response in the reporting.