How should collecting societies be reformed?

26 January 2012

Emma Barraclough, London

The UK is looking at voluntary codes of conduct for collecting societies, following a proposal made by the Hargreaves Review. There is also talk of a Digital Exchange, and centralised reform from the EU. Managing IP interviews two people on opposite sides of the debate

Brigid Simmonds, British Beer & Pub Association

What collecting societies do you deal with and what do you pay them for?

We deal with two collecting societies: PRS, which represents recording artists, and PPL, which represents composers.

Our members include hotels, nightclubs, pubs and what we call chameleon premises – ones that might serve coffee in the morning, food at lunch and drinks in the evening. Not all of them pay both kinds of tariffs.

Collecting societies calculate their licence fees primarily according to the size of the licensor's premises. PPL operates a banding system that sees small premises pay between £100 and £120 a year although larger venues pay significantly more.

PRS operates a more complicated system. It offers a menu of options and you pick what you want depending on what you do. It's based on the equipment that you have, the admission prices you charge and the number of...

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