Blur’s drummer, David Rowntree, has been unsuccessful in his attempt to prolong a legal dispute over the allocation of £200 million in music royalties. Rowntree aimed to file a legal action on behalf of 160,000 songwriters against the Performing Right Society (PRS), responsible for gathering and distributing royalties to songwriters and publishers.

He alleged that PRS distributes “black box” royalties, also known as unidentified royalties, to publishers but not to songwriters, which he and his legal team criticized as biased in a systematic and disproportionate manner. The Competition Appeal Tribunal dismissed the challenge in August, stating it lacked reasonable prospects of success, despite Rowntree’s claims that songwriters could receive up to £200 million in unpaid royalties.

Rowntree contested the decision at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the tribunal made legal errors and should reconsider. However, the Court of Appeal judges rejected Rowntree’s appeal, stating that the distribution of “black box” royalties remains uncertain due to data issues, making it impossible to ascertain specific amounts for members.

PRS clarified that “black box” royalties are collected but cannot be linked to individual works due to data problems, leading to a proportional distribution based on matched royalties. The judges emphasized that without accurate information, fair distribution cannot be determined, and no alternative method for distributing these royalties has been proposed by Rowntree.

Following the judgment, PRS welcomed the decision, asserting that the claim lacked merit and was contrary to the interests of PRS members. The organization reiterated its commitment to delivering value for its members and safeguarding their rights in music usage scenarios.