Hairdresser faces music over licence

The boss of a hair salon has been ordered to pay £1,500 in legal costs for playing dance music while snipping customers' hair without a licence - despite paying her fees in full after being caught.

Music royalties collectors Phonograph Performance Ltd started legal action against Sharon Dutton after she was caught playing De'Lacy and Love Tribe tracks at her Uppercut salon in Wolverhampton. A top judge in London was yesterday told that she had brought the music licence for the Dudley Street salon up to date after PPL inspectors heard music being played inside.

But during a High Court hearing Mr Justice Lewison ordered her to pay the hefty legal bill the royalties collectors' ran up taking her to court. She must pay £1,536 by April 1.

Fiona Clark, for PPL, told the High Court that an inspector had visited the salon in October and heard Moving On by Roach Motel, Hideaway by De'Lacy and Stand Up by Love Tribe being played in the background.

Mrs Dutton said staff had been playing an iPod when inspectors swooped and that she felt like "shutting up shop" after the ruling.

She immediately paid for a music licence but a small radio in the salon had since been removed, she added.

"I feel like shutting the shop and walking away," Mrs Dutton added.

"It is absolutely ridiculous. The solicitor for these people told me there would be some small costs to pay when I paid for the licence.

"Then I got a phone call telling me it was £1,500-odd."

PPL spokesman Jonathan Morrish said: "PPL takes infringement of its members' copyright very seriously." The licence scheme applies to all recorded music in PPL's repertoire. It is separate to the Performing Rights Society, which collects a fee for composers.

By Mark Mudie