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PRS For Music suspends links with Russian counterpart

By | Published on Tuesday 8 March 2022

PRS For Music

UK song rights collecting society PRS For Music has announced that it has suspended it reciprocal relationship with its Russian counterpart RAO in light of the continued war in Ukraine. The British organisation says that it is also working to provide financial support to Ukrainian composers and songwriters. It is also liaising with the global organisation for song right societies, CISAC, in reviewing how the Russian society connects into the worldwide collective licensing system.

In a statement, the society says: “PRS For Music has today formally suspended, with immediate effect, our rights representation relationship with RAO, the Russian collecting society for musical works, pending confirmation of its separation from the Russian government and those individuals and companies on the sanctions lists. We are also working with CISAC to consider the ongoing membership of Russian societies in the global network”.

“It is not our desire to punish the Russian composer, songwriter and publisher communities who support peace, and we will work with the global community to identify opportunities to amplify the voices of protest”, it goes on. “We will [also] be contacting all our members based in the Ukraine to offer our support in their time of need and are working with PRS Members’ Fund to make financial support available to them”.

The move by PRS follows protests and boycotts by numerous other music companies and artists. Many artists have cancelled upcoming shows in Russia, while Live Nation has pulled out of the country entirely and Spotify has closed its Russian office.



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