BLUR DRUMMER LOSES APPEAL OVER £200M ROYALTIES DISPUTE

David Rowntree, drummer of Blur, has lost his Court of Appeal challenge to continue a legal case concerning the distribution of £200 million in music royalties. The ruling dismissed his attempt to bring a claim on behalf of approximately 160,000 songwriters against the Performing Right Society (PRS), the body responsible for collecting and distributing royalties. The appeal was dismissed on Monday by Court of Appeal judges, who sided with the PRS's defence of its position. The initial challenge had been rejected by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in August, which concluded the case lacked a "reasonable prospect of success".

Rowntree had alleged that the PRS's method of distributing "black box" royalties – funds that cannot be matched to specific musical works or individuals owing to data issues – was "systematically and disproportionately biased" against songwriters. He contended that unidentified royalties were paid to producers but not to songwriters, potentially depriving them of up to £200 million in unpaid earnings. The PRS stated that "black box" royalties arise when it collects funds but cannot identify the musical work or recipient due to missing payment or contact details. These royalties are then distributed proportionally according to matched royalty distributions.

In a 21-page ruling, Lord Justice Miles stated that a "true" distribution of "black box" royalties cannot be determined because the problem stems from the absence of accurate information. He concluded that consequently, no member could claim entitlement to a specific amount of these funds. The judgment brings an end to Rowntree's legal challenge, which his team had argued in the preceding month should be reconsidered on grounds of legal error.