No playing of music without paying for it: Bombay HC

Team L&M

The Bombay High Court vide order dated 27th November, 2019 has reserved restaurants, pubs and hotels, cafes, bars and resorts across the country from playing popular copyrighted songs in their premises without making payment to PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and taking a license giving copyright permissions for the same from them. This applies to all usage of music including on Christmas and New Year’s eve.

The order was passed wherein venues will have to pay a licence fee in response to a petition filed by Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) music licensing body. PPL India owns and / or controls the Public Performance rights for over 340 Music labels with more than 3 million international and domestic sound recordings.

PPL India represents some of the largest record labels including Saregama, Super Cassettes (T Series), Sony Music, Universal Music and many more who have granted PPL the rights, by virtue of assignment and / or exclusive License Agreements, to collect license fees for public performance, basis under relevant sections of the Copyright Act, 1957.

Any violation of this order shall invoke contempt proceedings against such establishments.

This pan India HC order is a relief for PPL and other copyright owners and ensures that every user plays music by the rules!