Sony has launched a legal offensive against anonymous bootleggers selling counterfeit Benson Boone merchandise outside concert venues during the artist’s American Heart tour. Ceremony of Roses, a merchandising company affiliated with Sony, filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt the sale of unauthorized T-shirts, jerseys, caps, and other branded items that infringe on Sony’s intellectual property rights.
The legal action targets a network of unidentified sellers, listed as John Does in court documents, who strategically follow the tour from city to city. These bootleggers typically set up shop in proximity to venues before, during, and after performances, often coordinating their operations through local collaborators in each tour stop.
According to the lawsuit, the counterfeit merchandise frequently incorporates Benson Boone’s trademarks alongside specific tour information, creating confusion among concertgoers who might mistake these products for official merchandise.
Sony’s primary concerns extend beyond lost revenue. The company argues that bootleg items are generally inferior in quality, potentially damaging both the artist’s reputation and the plaintiff’s brand image. This pattern of venue-based sales represents a deliberate tactic to capitalize on fans’ enthusiasm while circumventing proper licensing and quality control measures.
Prosecuting these cases presents significant challenges for Sony and the courts. The defendants operate covertly using multiple seller aliases and offshore banking to protect proceeds from legal judgments, making it difficult to identify and directly prosecute individual bootleggers.
This lawsuit mirrors Sony’s previous legal efforts against counterfeiters selling fake PlayStation products across major online platforms including Amazon, eBay, and TikTok. The issue parallels challenges legitimate artists face when distributing their music, as both require protection of intellectual property rights across multiple platforms and venues. Defendants in such cases often face temporary restraining orders that can completely freeze their financial accounts during the litigation process.
The economic impact of counterfeit merchandise sales affects legitimate merchandisers’ revenue streams during tours and potentially dilutes the value of official products. For most touring musicians, merchandise sales represent one of the most significant and direct income sources in today’s music industry landscape. Bootleggers have been documented at numerous stops including St. Paul and Chicago on the American Heart tour. Courts must carefully balance brand protection concerns with due process requirements when dealing with anonymous defendants.
As Benson Boone’s American Heart tour continues, Sony hopes this legal action will discourage bootleggers from targeting future concert venues and protect both the artist’s brand integrity and fan experience.
