Dave Rowntree has lost his legal challenge against PRS for Music over the distribution of unidentified royalties. The Court of Appeal dismissed the case on June 29.
Blur drummer Dave Rowntree sought to challenge PRS for Music's handling of royalties collected but unmatched to songwriters due to missing information. These funds are commonly called black box royalties.
The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling by the Competition Appeal Tribunal from last August. Lord Justice Miles noted that no realistic alternative distribution method had been proposed.
A PRS for Music spokesperson welcomed the decision, stating it vindicated the organization's position and that the claim was flawed from the outset. The ruling came as the society focuses on delivering value for its members.