The music has to stop at the station

Date published: 31 October 2009

A well-known Rossendale nightspot has been told to stop playing chart hits without a licence. 

Following  a tip-off that The Rhythm Station, in New Hall Hey Road, Rawtenstall,  were illegally playing copyrighted music, inspectors called unexpectedly.

At a High Court hearing, Thomas St Quintin, representing watchdog Phonographic Performance Ltd, said warning letters had been issued to the nightclub by solicitors, informing them of the need for a licence to play copyrighted recordings.

Now Mr Justice Warren has temporily banned club proprietor Guy Cornwell and Allied Logistics Ltd from playing music at the Station House club. They also face a legal costs bill of £1,801.

The nightclub was told it could not play any more recorded music until they bring performance licences up-to-date.

The ban applies to all forms of recorded music such as records, tapes and CDs covered by the PPL, which covers 97 per cent of all music.

A PPL spokesman said: “Whenever you play a sound recording in public, there are two separate licence fees to be paid. We distributes our licence fees to record companies, recording artists and musicians, and the Performing Rights Society collects a separate licence fee which they distribute to composers and music publishers.”