A British organization is going all aggro on Soundcloud: The Performing Rights Society for Music is slapping the music streaming service with a lawsuit for alleged unpaid royalties that "[the artists] deserve."
An email sent out by PRS for Music on August 27 states that "following five years of unsuccessful negotiations, we now find ourselves in a situation where we have no alternative but to commence legal proceedings."
PRS for Music, a copyright collection organization with a huge focus on performers' rights, aims to "demystify the licensing process so everyone better understands how [their] members' rights are licensed and the value that copyright represents to the UK economy," according to its website.
The lawsuit comes in the wake of some pretty major deals that Soundcloud has struck up. This past June alone, the streaming service reached agreements with 20,000 independent labels by way of Merlin, an org that represents indie companies regarding digital rights; major artists in this deal include FKA Twigs, Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend.
So why all of the fuss? Simple: PRS for Music claims that its members – 111,000 in total – are not being paid proper royalties from Soundcloud for streaming their music. The UK organization believes that Soundcloud must first obtain a license from them to do so, which would allow for both the collection and distribution of royalties.
As per Engadget, "when asked for comment, SoundCloud acknowledged that while it takes PRS for Music's claims 'extremely seriously,' the legal notice is 'entirely devoid of merit and foundation, and it is our intention to vigorously defend and contest the claim.'"
Via: Engadget
Photo: Slipp D. Thompson | Flickr
