Lawsuits, Lies & Live Music: Onesti Entertainment Accused of Hosting Unlicensed Shows
Three major music publishers sue Ronald Onesti for copyright infringement after years of ignored warnings.
Based on U.S. District Court case: Octave Music Licensing et al. v. Club Arcada Inc. & Ronald Onesti, Case No. 1:19-cv-07071
For a man who built his brand on a love of music and nostalgia, Ronald Onesti’s venues may have been singing a tune they didn’t have the rights to.
In October 2019, Onesti and Club Arcada Inc. were slapped with a federal copyright infringement lawsuit by three of the industry’s biggest names: Octave Music Licensing, WB Music Corp., and Universal Polygram International Publishing. The charge? Hosting live performances of iconic songs—without ever securing a license.
“Over Forty Attempts to Play Fair”
According to the complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) had reached out more than 40 times to offer a licensing agreement for Club Arcada, the vintage-style entertainment venue Onesti runs in Saint Charles, Illinois.
ASCAP alleges it sent calls, emails, letters, and even in-person visits, all of which were ignored.
“This is not accidental infringement,” the suit declared. “It is a deliberate, calculated decision to profit from copyrighted music without compensating its creators.”
The Songs at Center Stage
The lawsuit focused on unauthorized performances of three timeless classics:
“Misty” – made famous by Johnny Mathis
“You Make Me Feel So Young” – immortalized by Frank Sinatra
“The Way You Look Tonight” – a Fred Astaire standard
Each of these songs is owned and managed by the plaintiffs. Their public performance without a license, they argue, constitutes willful infringement.
The Potential Price Tag
Under Title 17 of the U.S. Code, each act of infringement carries a statutory damage potential of up to $30,000 — or $150,000 if found willful.
In this case, the plaintiffs asked the court to:
Enjoin Onesti from ever playing copyrighted works without a license
Award statutory damages and attorney’s fees
Cover all court costs
No monetary judgment is listed in the docket reviewed, but the case underscores a consistent theme in Onesti’s legal entanglements: avoidance, delay, and defiance of payment or licensing norms.
The Brand vs. The Books
Onesti has long branded himself as a guardian of Italian-American culture and classic entertainment. But this case paints a picture of a businessman sidestepping the very music rights that fund the artists he showcases.
It’s not the first time Onesti’s companies have been sued for financial or compliance failures (see: bounced vendor checks, wage theft suits, and loan defaults). But it may be the first to strike at the nostalgic core of his public persona — and his wallet.
📑 Court Records Cited:
U.S. District Court, N.D. Ill. Case No. 1:19-cv-07071
Complaint by Octave Music Licensing, WB Music Corp., and Universal Polygram (filed Oct. 28, 2019)
ASCAP enforcement notices referenced in complaint