Essex venue Club Miya, which has featured in the hit ITV show The Only Way Is Essex, has been banned from playing music.
In a trial which started in September, the premises was found to be infringing copyright law, banned from playing music and ordered to pay PPL and PRS for Music’s outstanding legal costs for playing recorded music without a licence.
The case centred round one of the defendants, Kerry Ormes, the nightclub's designated premises supervisor, who was charged with the day-to-day management of premises under the Licensing Act 2003.
Ormes denied being responsible for any infringement at the club, claiming she was not the manager or proprietor.
Master Clark, who gave the court judgment, found that Ormes was liable for authorising and procuring acts infringing copyright, namely the playing of sound recordings and musical works at the club without licences from PPL and PRS for Music.
She accepted PPL’s and PRS for Music’s evidence, which showed that Ormes acted as the nightclub manager and that her responsibilities would generally include the booking of DJs and promoters.
Clark awarded PPL and PRS for Music an injunction against the defendant to prevent further infringement by Ormes at any public premises, and awarded damages against Ormes personally.
A costs hearing will take place in January 2017.
Paul Clements, commercial director at PRS for Music, said: ‘Music can have many positive benefits for business, whether used for staff and customer entertainment, or to enhance financial gain/profits. We support businesses across all sectors with licensing advice, so that music can be enjoyed by all, and in-turn ensure that the creators of music are fairly and legitimately paid for their work.’
Christine Geissmar, PPL operations director, added: ‘There is an intrinsic value that music adds to businesses, and this judgement acknowledges that the creators of the music should be fairly rewarded for this. This ruling demonstrates how seriously the courts treat copyright infringement and reiterates that music can only be played in public if the right licences are obtained. Those businesses that choose to play recorded music without a licence will face legal action as a result.
‘PPL and PRS for Music regards legal proceedings as very much a last resort but unfortunately they are sometimes necessary. A court can order the business to pay its outstanding music licence fees plus PPL and PRS’ legal costs and issue a court order known as an injunction to stop the business playing recorded music until this is done.
‘In this instance, in spite of us repeatedly contacting the business owner to get the correct licensing in place, this case was taken to the High Court in London, where the owner was banned from playing any copyrighted recorded music at the venue until a licence is purchased.’
In a trial which started in September, the premises was found to be infringing copyright law, banned from playing music and ordered to pay PPL and PRS for Music’s outstanding legal costs for playing recorded music without a licence.
The case centred round one of the defendants, Kerry Ormes, the nightclub's designated premises supervisor, who was charged with the day-to-day management of premises under the Licensing Act 2003.
Ormes denied being responsible for any infringement at the club, claiming she was not the manager or proprietor.
Master Clark, who gave the court judgment, found that Ormes was liable for authorising and procuring acts infringing copyright, namely the playing of sound recordings and musical works at the club without licences from PPL and PRS for Music.
She accepted PPL’s and PRS for Music’s evidence, which showed that Ormes acted as the nightclub manager and that her responsibilities would generally include the booking of DJs and promoters.
Clark awarded PPL and PRS for Music an injunction against the defendant to prevent further infringement by Ormes at any public premises, and awarded damages against Ormes personally.
A costs hearing will take place in January 2017.
Paul Clements, commercial director at PRS for Music, said: ‘Music can have many positive benefits for business, whether used for staff and customer entertainment, or to enhance financial gain/profits. We support businesses across all sectors with licensing advice, so that music can be enjoyed by all, and in-turn ensure that the creators of music are fairly and legitimately paid for their work.’
Christine Geissmar, PPL operations director, added: ‘There is an intrinsic value that music adds to businesses, and this judgement acknowledges that the creators of the music should be fairly rewarded for this. This ruling demonstrates how seriously the courts treat copyright infringement and reiterates that music can only be played in public if the right licences are obtained. Those businesses that choose to play recorded music without a licence will face legal action as a result.
‘PPL and PRS for Music regards legal proceedings as very much a last resort but unfortunately they are sometimes necessary. A court can order the business to pay its outstanding music licence fees plus PPL and PRS’ legal costs and issue a court order known as an injunction to stop the business playing recorded music until this is done.
‘In this instance, in spite of us repeatedly contacting the business owner to get the correct licensing in place, this case was taken to the High Court in London, where the owner was banned from playing any copyrighted recorded music at the venue until a licence is purchased.’
