A Gym Chain Part-Owned by Ex-NRL Star Beau Ryan Faces a $175,000 Copyright Infringement Bill
In a recent legal battle, a gym chain co-owned by former NRL player and media personality Beau Ryan has been ordered to pay a substantial $175,000 for copyright infringement. The issue arose from the gym's practice of playing music by popular artists like Avicii and Vengaboys during classes without securing the necessary licensing fees.
The federal court's ruling in December 2025 found that the companies operating the S1 Training gyms, which began in Sydney's Coogee and expanded across New South Wales and Victoria, had repeatedly infringed on copyright between 2020 and 2024. The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), responsible for granting and administering licenses for the majority of the world's commercially available music, initiated the legal action.
According to APRA, any business playing copyrighted music, whether from radio or streaming platforms, must obtain a 'OneMusic' license and pay the associated fees. These fees are then distributed as royalties to rights holders through record companies, involving processes like radio air play tracking, box office reports, streaming data analysis, and sound recognition technology.
The lawsuit was filed against five companies and their director, Kieran Turner. Notably, Beau Ryan was not involved or aware of the copyright infringement, as the claim was not directed at him.
To gather evidence, undercover officers attended various S1 classes in Sydney's Coogee, Bondi Junction, Caringbah, and Melbourne's Prahran. They recorded the entire sessions, and social media videos of activities with playing music were also used as evidence. The court employed the music recognition app Shazam to identify the tracks played during fitness classes.
The identified songs included 'Horny 98′ Radio Edit' by Mousse T., 'We Like to Party' by Vengaboys, 'Booty Bounce' by Tujamo and Taio Cruz, 'Wake Me Up' by Avicii, and 'Don’t You Worry Child' by Swedish House Mafia. APRA alleged that after becoming concerned about potential copyright infringement in May 2022, they contacted franchises and Turner, explaining the requirements and offering licenses.
However, Turner allegedly declined the offer and subsequent ones, failing to take action to stop the unlawful music performances once he became aware of the legal obligations. Turner defended himself by claiming that APRA couldn't prove ownership of the copyright for the musical works performed at the gyms and that the undercover recordings were made illegally.
He also argued that if songs were played, he didn't personally authorize the fitness trainers, who had discretion over music usage, and that organizing licensing was the trainers' responsibility. Judge Nicholas Manousaridis, however, ruled that music performance was an essential element of S1 classes and that Turner, who arranged for sound equipment in the studios, would have been aware of this.
The court ordered various S1 branches to pay damages, including the cost of unpaid license fees, interest, and an additional $3000 for each of the 25 tracks found to be infringements, totaling $175,398. Turner was personally liable for this amount, although this liability could be reduced if the gym franchises paid their specific fees and damages.
S1 Training, registered as SWEAT 1000, was founded in 2020 by Turner, a businessman and head of the Heartland Motor group. In 2021, the company announced Ryan's involvement as an 'equity partner and ambassador' when expanding and offering franchising opportunities. While Ryan owns a 5% stake in SWEAT1000, he was not directly involved in the copyright infringement.
Karen Holmes, the director of APRA's OneMusic licensing organization, explained that they regularly contact businesses believed to be violating copyright and offer them the chance to obtain a license. She noted that seeking legal redress via the courts is typically a last resort.
S1 Training did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and the company's future remains uncertain, with all branches except Coogee now insolvent and wound up.
