Blur Drummer Dave Rowntree’s Proposed Class Action Against PRS For Music Struck Down by Appeals Judge

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has lost a U.K. court appeal to revive his challenge against PRS For Music's "black box" royalty distribution. The U.K.'s Court of Appeal dismissed his proposed class action on behalf of PRS' songwriter members, upholding an earlier ruling by the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The court found that Rowntree had not put together a "counterfactual" method of distribution against which the society's approach could be measured. Rowntree argued that the pro rata distribution of unallocated royalties favored publishers over songwriters and that the distribution method for a reported £200 million should be amended. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that "there is nothing inherently unfair about the pro rata distribution" of unallocated royalties, recognizing that the system operates with incomplete information. A PRS for Music spokesperson stated that the class action was fundamentally flawed and a misrepresentation of their policies, and that it would have resulted in members suing the society they collectively own. PRS for Music paid out £1.24 billion to songwriters, composers and publishers in 2025.

(Source：Billboard)