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PPL AGM expresses frustration with Tribunal’s pub ruling
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 10 June 2010
The previously reported decision by the UK Copyright Tribunal regarding the royalties to be paid to the music industry by pubs and clubs – which went very much in the pub industry’s favour – took the glee away from yesterday’s AGM of recordings collecting society PPL.
The society had taken in record revenues of £129.6 million in 2009, but as a result of the Tribunal ruling, which end a long running dispute between PPL and trade bodies for the pubs sector, it will now have to refund £18.1 million to relevant licensees, meaning overall revenues will be down.
Speaking at the AGM, PPL boss Fran Nevrkla was critical of the Copyright Tribunal in the way it had handled this particular royalty dispute.
He told his society’s members: “To say that PPL found last year’s UK Copyright Tribunal decision hugely disappointing, if not shocking, is an understatement. We’re wholly supportive of the concept of the Copyright Tribunal; what we do needs supervision. The Copyright Tribunal is the appropriate body, but only if it is properly funded, resourced, informed and pays some attention to the real world out there”.
PPL Exec Director Peter Leathem told Billboard the society is currently considering its legal position. The Tribunal’s ruling has already been upheld by the High Court, but Leathem told the trade mag: “We’re in the process of considering what steps to take going forward because what the government conceived hasn’t worked”.
Elsewhere in PPL money stats, broadcasting and online royalties were up 2% in 2009, despite the advertising recession meaning income from the commercial radio sector was down 9%. International revenues were up a massive 40% and gave the greatest boost to the Society overall.
