Yesterday, we reported on PRS for Music’s lawsuit against SoundCloud alleging that the streaming service doesn’t have a proper license for music represented by the agency. Today, the plaintiff got a statement of support from their fellow Brits at BASCA. “We acknowledge that streaming is a fantastic means of listening to and enjoying music but SoundCloud’s intransigence in refusing to be licensed through PRS For Music means their model financially damages our members,” said Vick Bain, CEO of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. “We encourage all online services to establish frameworks that will fairly compensate songwriters, composers and authors – the PRS for Music online license is the best way that this can be achieved.”
Both BASCA and PRS for Music have been vocal critics of how some online platforms use safe harbor provisions as a reason to not make royalty payments. SoundCloud and YouTube are frequent targets of that criticism. Depending on how quickly PRS can get through the legal system, the results of this litigation could have a major impact on both of those online audio businesses.