Collecting Societies - CMU | the music business explained

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

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PRS For Music • 5 min read

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

A UK court has dismissed a class action lawsuit filed by Blur drummer Dave Rowntree against PRS over the collecting society’s black box distribution rules. PRS raised various issues with Rowntree’s ‘collective competition proceedings’, with judges ultimately granting its bid to strike the action…

Chris Cooke • 29 Aug 2025

PRS says claim it dubbed venues and managers “inefficient” and “unprofessional” is “utterly untrue”

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PRS For Music • 2 min read

PRS says claim it dubbed venues and managers “inefficient” and “unprofessional” is “utterly untrue”

PRS has responded to the claim that it recently implied that smaller venues, and the managers of artists that play them, are “inefficient” and “unprofessional”. The claim - based on something PRS said in recent a filing as part of an ongoing legal battle - is “false”, the collecting society insists…

Chris Cooke • 08 Nov 2024

BMI boss responds to speculation over reported private equity sale

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Collecting Societies • 3 min read

BMI boss responds to speculation over reported private equity sale

The boss of BMI has responded to speculation about an imminent sale of the US collecting society to a private equity outfit, insisting that changes at the organisation have been “mischaracterised” - though he doesn’t actually answer the specific questions songwriters have asked about those changes…

Chris Cooke • 06 Sep 2023