country
The country singer felt sick when she learned that a disabled Florida woman who was selling unauthorized goods was being targeted
Associated Press
Thu, December 14, 2023, 1:45 p.m. GMT
Country singer Luke Combs is making restitution for a disabled Florida woman who sells drinking glasses online after she was ordered to pay him $250,000 when she was caught up in a crackdown by his lawyers against companies selling unauthorized goods sell with his picture or name on it.
Combs said in an Instagram video posted Wednesday that he told his lawyers to remove Nicol Harness from a lawsuit they filed in federal court in Illinois and that he would send her $11,000. She had sold 18 mugs she made with his name and likeness on Amazon for $20 each, bringing in $360 in sales.
The singer, who recently topped the country charts with his cover of Tracy Chapman's “Fast Car,” also said he will start selling his own mug and use the proceeds to pay Harness's medical bills – she has a heart condition and was recently hospitalized. He also said he would fly Harness and her family to an upcoming concert so he could meet her.
He said his lawyers should only go after large companies that sell unauthorized merchandise, not fans who run a small business on the side. Most of the 45 other sellers sued appear to be large operations in Asia, court records show. Under U.S. copyright law, sellers of unauthorized goods can face heavy fines and have their assets confiscated. You can also be prosecuted.
“I would never do that. That's not the kind of person I am. I am not greedy in any way. Money is the last thing on my mind. I promise you that,” said Combs, a two-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year and three-time Grammy nominee.
Harness's plight was brought to light Tuesday in a story on Tampa television station WFLA that went viral.
Harness told the station that Combs' lawyers served her with the lawsuit by email rather than in person, which the federal court in the Northern District of Illinois allows. She said the October lawsuit ended up in her junk mail folder and she never saw it.
When Harness failed to respond within 30 days as required, the judge found her in default and imposed a judgment of $250,000. She learned she had been sued when Amazon complied with the judge's order and froze the $5,500 she had in her account due to possible seizure, meaning she couldn't pay her bills.
Harness is a big fan of the singer and began selling the Combs mug after attending one of his concerts.
“It’s very stressful,” a crying Harness told the station. “I didn’t mean to do anything bad to Luke Combs. I stopped selling the mug. I pulled it down. I just don't get it… This isn't something I wanted to go wrong. I just want to get back to my everyday life.”
Combs said in his Instagram video that he learned about Harness and the lawsuit when he woke up at 5 a.m. Wednesday to use the bathroom and saw the story. He said he had his supervisor get Harness's contact information so he could call her and tell her he would make everything right.
“I apologized so much when I spoke to her. It honestly just makes me sick that something like this would happen, especially around the holidays. I can’t imagine being in her shoes,” Combs said.
A relieved Harness told the television station Wednesday that she was surprised when Combs called. “He was a very nice guy, very understanding,” Harness said. “I explained to him what happened, he understood. I still can’t believe he called me and does these things for me.”
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