Beyonce's Single Ladies lands Wolverhampton pub with music ban

The Grain Store in King Street has been given the High Court order.

Birmingham's popular Actress & Bishop and Stirling's Bar, both on Ludgate Hill in the city's Jewellery Quarter, have also been banned from playing recorded music.

The bans follow visits by inspectors from music royalties collectors Phonographic Performance Ltd.

The action was taken against Andrew Rhodes, proprietor and occupier of The Grain Store, last Friday. It was also brought against Robert O'Neill, occupier, proprietor and premises licence holder of the Actress & Bishop, and Darren Day and his company R&R Recovery Ltd, occupier and proprietor of Stirling's Bar.

Mr Justice Morgan was told that PPL inspectors visited The Grain Store on March 14 and it was playing Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) and Jump by Kris Kross. Inspectors also visited Stirling's Bar on January 24 and the Actress & Bishop on February 21, and inspectors heard music being played at each when no licence was in force.

PPL's counsel Fiona Clark said that solicitors had sent letters to each premises informing that playing music in public without PPL's licence or permission constitutes infringement of its copyright, and inviting them to acquire a licence.

As well as imposing bans, Mr Justice Morgan also ordered them to pay the costs bills - £1,649 in each in the two Birmingham cases and £1,640 in the Wolverhampton case, which must be paid by July 10.

The bans mean the venues must stop playing recorded music at their premises, or any other premises they run, until they bring their licences up to date and apply to all forms of mechanically recorded music such as records, tapes and CDs in PPL's repertoire.

Failure to obey the order would be regarded as contempt of court, which has a penalty of fines of up to £10,000 and up to six months prison for any individuals responsible.

Nazneen Nawaz, spokesperson for PPL, said: "PPL is the music licensing company which, on behalf of thousands of record company and performer members, licenses recorded music for broadcast, online and public performance use.

"Our 90,000 members include major record labels and independents as well as globally successful performers and session musicians, ranging from orchestral players to percussionists and singers. The majority are small businesses, all of whom are legally entitled to be fairly paid for the use of their recordings and performances.

"PPL issues licences to hundreds of thousands of businesses and organisations across the UK when they play recorded music to their staff or customers and therefore require a licence by law. Licensees include bars, nightclubs, shops, hotels, offices, factories, gyms, schools, universities and public sector organisations up and down the country."