PPL licences and you

As we have reported in previous updates, earlier this year the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) won a copyright tribunal case against Phonographic Performance Ltd regarding the level of fees that they have been charging for PPL licences. These are the licences that you pay to be able to play recorded music on your business premises, whether it is in places used by customers or in staff only areas, such as kitchens.

As a result, PPL is writing to all licensees to notify them of the ruling and provide a form that you can use to receive a refund. This refund will be the difference between the fee that you have paid between 2006 and 2009 and the new lower fees that the Copyright Tribunal has set as a result of the case brought by BHA and BBPA.

However, there are a couple of catches in claiming a refund. The first is that you cannot claim a refund if your total overpayment over this period is less than £50. Second, if you paid your fee late in any year, the Tribunal gave PPL the right to charge 50% extra for that year – thus reducing the refund that you are entitled to receive.