A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Coachella Music and Art Festival’s radius clause.
The lawsuit had been filed by the founders of the Soul’d Out Music Festival in Oregon who claimed that restrictions on when and where Coachella acts may perform violate anti-trust law. In his decision, United States District Court Judge Michael Mosman ruled that Soul’d Out was not unlawfully injured by Goldenvoice policy, according to Billboard.
Attorneys representing AEG and Coachella argued that the radius clause helped to preserve the Indio festival’s uniqueness and prevent other promoters from using Coachella to promote unrelated events.
“The entire purpose of the radius clause is to protect AEG from competitors unfairly free-riding on its creative choices in selecting its artist lineup,” they wrote in a court filing. “As more festivals proliferate, maintaining a unique festival lineup is crucial for Coachella to remain competitive.”
The producers of the Oregon fest now have 30 days to appeal.
