Winchester nightclub taken to High Court for not paying music licence

The club was banned from playing any recorded music until its licence was brought up to date and fined legal bills over £1,600.

Kalvin Collymore, co-owner of Vodka Bar and Nightclub, said: “There’s been no break in licence and there have been no problems. It happened in error and has been cleared up.”

Mr Justice Barling imposed the sounds of silence on the Upper Brook Street premises and any others run by Zeus Corporation Ltd after hearing they were caught playing recorded copyrighted music there when they didn't have a Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) licence.

In addition to the ban he also ordered the company, which was not represented in court, to pay £1,687 in legal costs run up by PPL pursuing them by November 14.

Failure to obey the order and turn any premises it runs into a music-free zone until all licence fees are brought up to date would be regarded as contempt of court, the penalties for which can be fines of up to £10,000 and up to six months prison for any individuals responsible.

The judge was told that a PPL inspector visited the premises in February and heard music being played when no licence was in force. The inspector heard tracks including 'Let Me Show You' by K-Klass.

PPL's counsel Ashton Chantrielle said that solicitors had sent letters to the premises informing the company of the nature and extent of PPL's repertoire and the fact that the playing in public of sound recordings without PPL's licence or permission constitutes infringement of its copyright, and inviting it to acquire a licence.

The ban applies to all forms of mechanically recorded music such as records, tapes and CDs in PPL's repertoire. Depending on the size of a venue and the audiences involved music licences can cost very little but they can also run into hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

A PPL spokesperson said the licence is now up to date. 

Mr Collymore declined to comment further.