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What's in a name? Ron Hynes music festival not supported by estate

What's in a name? Ron Hynes music festival not supported by estate

The Ron Hynes family has put a damper on a June festival that was supposed to showcase the late singer-songwriter and his music.

The first Ron Hynes Songwriters' Festival was scheduled for June 24 and 25 with workshops and performances at the LSPU Hall in downtown St. John's.

However the festival organizer said Thursday the Ron Hynes estate won't agree to let her use his name.

"I think that the estate have quite a job on their hands here, and I don't think they have a firm grip or an understanding of the legalities of recording and performing songs," Vicky Hynes, no relation to the musician, told the St. John's Morning Show.

Hynes said she contacted the estate as a courtesy and was willing to cooperate, but never got a response until recently.

"I contacted them in February, and several times over the last several months — nothing," she said.

"Then, all of a sudden, after many times being told that the lawyer's out of town or somebody's unreachable, I hear from them a month before the festival."

Licence for performances

Hynes said she was asked to buy a licence to make use of Ron Hynes's intellectual property.

"I know that after doing Feast of Cohen for many, many years that you don't need a licence, but it was merely a courtesy that I would co-operate with them," she said.

"You do not need a licence to perform anybody's songs, you pay SOCAN [Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada] fees for that."

Hynes said the cost of the licence was never made clear.

"I was feeling quite intimidated that this was going to be in the way of thousands of dollars that we did not have."

Hynes said she likely wouldn't have made much money after paying fees, musicians, and the rental of the venue, but felt the festival could have been a "great launching pad" for future business around Ron Hynes's music.

Estate 'does not support' event

In a release issued Wednesday, lawyer for the estate Erin Best wrote that it was untrue that the estate was unwilling to negotiate.

"However, due to Ms. Hynes' mischaracterization of this issue the estate now officially confirms that it does not support Ms. Hynes' event and that no licence will be granted."

The administrator of the Hynes estate, Heather McKinnon, said the estate was tied up in the courts for nearly 16 months due to its complexity and that she was only appointed two weeks ago.

"Legally, any benefits that Ron enjoyed as a musician and a performer in the way of income are the rights of his beneficiaries, which are his four daughters, and they've entrusted me to make decisions about his estate that are in his best interest," said McKinnon.

"I think this project is fantastic and could be a great project down the road to celebrate his music and even introduce his music to future generations, but it's not the right time now."

She described Best as "an expert in trademark law and intellectual property,' who advised that a licence, or at least permission, was required from the estate, not just SOCAN fees.

"I offered the organizer to come and meet Erin and understand the legal requirements around estates and licensing and Ron's rights in death," she said.

"She rejected that idea and said it wasn't required."

McKinnon said Ron Hynes's daughters will likely never receive anything from his estate, but his debts have to be covered and he had little in the way of physical assets, other than his intellectual property.

"I can't allow a commercial venture to go ahead that could become an income stream for someone else when technically, the rights belong to his daughters," she said.

"That's what I have to concern myself with, first and foremost, is his estate, his debts, and the daughters."

Vicky Hynes, meanwhile, said the performances planned for the LSPU Hall have been cancelled. She said there will still be a music festival on the same June dates but it will not have Ron Hynes's name or feature his songs.