Coachella’s radius clause, which has long been controversial despite a lot of misinformation about its actual substance, has been the subject of a lawsuit from the founders of Oregon event Soul’d Out Music Festival. The claim was that Coachella’s refusal to allow certain artists to play events that fell within a specific time frame and distance of their festival presented an unfair business disadvantage to their event. Today, that case was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman with prejudice, which prevents Soul’d Out Music Festival founders Nicholas Harris and Haytham Abdulhadi from attempting to file their lawsuit again,
“We are pleased with the court’s decision today to dismiss the lawsuit challenging the agreements between Coachella and artists,” Shawn Trell, general counsel and chief operating officer for Goldenvoice and AEG Presents said to Billboard. “Coachella is focused on providing an incredible festival experience for both fans and artists, and looks forward to another special event next month.”
The case was previously dismissed in October, with the same judge allowing Harris and Abdulhadi to refile if they amended what they referred to as “relevant markets.” But after hearing their second go at it, the judge determined that the idea of a monopoly did not apply to Coachella. It remains unclear if there will be appeal, but the case certainly affected how some people view Coachella, regardless of whether that view is fair. Coachella marches on next month, with headliners Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, and Tame Impala.
