Collective Proceedings Against PRS for Music

If You Were a Writer Member of the Performing Right Society at Any Time Since 9 March 2017, a Proposed Legal Claim Could Affect Your Rights

This website has been created to inform you of your important legal rights related to a legal claim (a proposed collective action, also known as a “class action”) against the Performing Right Society Limited and PRS for Music Limited (“PRS”).

This website explains the proposed claim, who is covered by the claim, the common issues covered by the claim, your legal rights, how to exercise these rights, and any deadlines, as they arise. Please review this website carefully as your decisions about this claim will have legal consequences.

On 27 February 2024, the claim was brought against PRS that asks the Competition Appeal Tribunal for permission to go forward as an “opt-out collective action.” The claim concerns the way in which PRS distributes, or permits to be distributed, certain royalty sums that are called in the PRS Rules and Regulations (“PRS Rules and Regulations”) and the PRS Distribution Policy Guide terms such as “unmatchable” (including “copyright control”), “non-distributable”, and “unclaimed” and colloquially referred to within the music industry as “Black Box” royalties. The majority of Black Box royalties are royalties belonging to PRS writer members but when the Black Box royalties are distributed, the distribution is heavily skewed in favour of publishers who receive a large portion of the writer share. In other words, Black Box royalties are transferred from PRS writer members and given to PRS publisher members who have no right to those royalties.

David Rowntree seeks to represent the class of PRS writer members who have lost money arising from the proposed claim.

This website has been created on the instruction of Mr Rowntree.

To learn more, please review the Frequently Asked Questions on this website or visit the Competition Appeal Tribunal website at www.catribunal.org.uk