It's like my mother always says, if you're going to have a tribunal, make sure everyone's invited. The British Academy of Composers & Songwriters aren't, however, invited to the pending UK music copyright tribunal, but they want in.
As previously reported, the BPI and various download platforms have taken the main British publishing royalties body, the MCPS-PRS Alliance, to tribunal after the two parties failed to reach agreement on what share of digital music sales should go to the songwriters and publishers. The BPI claims that moves by the Alliance to push up their share is both unfair and unworkable, especially given the major investment the record labels have had to make to convert their catalogues into appropriate digital formats.
But the Alliance disagree, and BACS yesterday came out in support of the royalties body, requesting the opportunity to 'intervene' in the tribunal in order to formally support the publishing sector's demands at the legal hearing.
BACS chair David Ferguson told reporters: "It is vital that music writers have their voice heard and the Academy is the only organisation within the United Kingdom which fully represents composers and songwriters. The downward pressure on the value of music writing is becoming more and more intense and by launching this complaint the BPI is aiding the users of our work to devalue creativity. The Academy firmly supports the Music Alliance as the collection agency working on behalf of music writers to receive fair remuneration for their craft".
Those overseeing the Tribunal will now have to make a decision as to whether BACS should be allowed to intervene on this issue.