In protest, and as they were not getting paid for their work, they decided not to pay for the drinks they had drunk that night. The owner of the place sued them.
Composers Ernest Bourget, Victor Parizot and Paul Henrion in Paris in 1847 succeeded in having payment made for their works which were being played in the leading café-concert at the time, Les Ambassadeurs. The French courts recognized these legitimate rights founded in revolutionary laws.
Read more about the story at:
https://www.cisac.org/media/3934/download
