Who Is Your Lawyer?

Publicans across the British Isles stand to recover as much as £20 million in their ongoing legal battle over the payment of copyright fees for playing music at their pubs. A High Court ruling yesterday found in the favor of pubs, restaurants, and hotels, and dismissed the appeal by Phonographic Performance Ltd, which had introduced new tariffs on the music in 2005, raising fees fourfold. The ruling saves the pubs at least £3 million per annum going forward, and opens the door to refunds of up to £10 million for overcharges going back to 2005.