Justin Bieber

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been tied up in all sorts of lawsuits during his technology career. That just goes with the territory when you become a multi-billionaire in the software industry. Lawsuits happen.

But, we’ve got to say, this is among the most bizarre legal actions we’ve ever seen. (OK, perhaps just behind FunnyJunk’s lawyer suing The Oatmeal).

A Wilsonville, Oregon mother has sued both Paul Allen’s Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, owner of Portland’s Rose Garden, and Justin Bieber over apparent hearing loss that occurred during a 2010 concert by the teen heartthrob.  Concert promoter AEG Worldwide and Island Def Jam Records also were named in the $9.2 million suit.

Paul Allen

Stacey Wilson Betts claims that she experienced hearing loss after Bieber entered a heart-shaped gondola that transported the pop icon over the crowd at the Rose Garden. The Oregonian reports on the allegations in which Betts claims that the floating gondola, combined with the shrieks of teenage girls, created a sound blast that damaged her ears.

“I am an ordinary person who bought a service, I took my daughter to a pop concert.  I had no reasonable way to anticipate the gondola could create a sound blast that would permanently damage my ears,” Betts is quoted as saying, according to the suit.

Question: Can we sue YouTube for having to watch this video as part of the research for this story?

 

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