Casey Parker, owner of Jose Pistola's, said he had been getting letters from BMI - as well as their competitors, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) - for a couple years, but had ignored them, figuring that his bar is not primarily a music venue. He doesn't charge a cover fee at the door and had considered live music a thank-you to his loyal customers.