{"id":2018019,"date":"2026-06-29T18:30:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018019"},"modified":"2026-06-29T18:30:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T15:30:31","slug":"blur-drummer-dave-rowntree-loses-prs-court-battle-for-200million-black-box-unpaid-songwriter-royalties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2018019","title":{"rendered":"Blur drummer Dave Rowntree loses PRS court battle for \u00a3200million \u201cblack box\u201d unpaid songwriter royalties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dave_rowntree_blur.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2749694\" class=\"post-2749694 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_71 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_72 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_72\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Blur drummer Dave Rowntree loses PRS court battle for \u00a3200million \u201cblack box\u201d unpaid songwriter royalties<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_73 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_73\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>He had sought to challenge the way PRS distributes royalties that cannot be matched to\u00a0the correct songwriter due to missing or inaccurate information<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_75 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_75\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Max Pilley<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-06-29T19:30:31+01:00\">29th June 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_77\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_78  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_80  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_81 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"442\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dave_rowntree_blur-696x442.jpg\" alt title><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Dave Rowntree at Regent Sounds on September 25, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Benett\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_83 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Blur\u00a0drummer\u00a0Dave Rowntree\u00a0has lost in his legal battle against PRS For Music over the distribution of so-called \u201cblack box\u201d royalties.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1086\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>Dave Rowntree tells us about his new Blur photo book \u2018No One You Know\u2019 \u2013 and the future of the band<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rowntree had\u00a0sought\u00a0to challenge the way PRS distributes royalties that it has collected but cannot\u00a0match to\u00a0the correct songwriter or publisher because of missing or inaccurate information.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Those funds are often referred to in the industry as \u201cblack box\u201d royalties, while PRS prefers the term \u201cunidentified royalties\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The case centred on Rowntree\u2019s claim that PRS\u2019 system for distributing those unidentified royalties was unfair to songwriters, and that writers could potentially have been deprived of up to \u00a3200million in earnings.<\/p>\n<p>Today (June 29), however, the Court\u00a0Of\u00a0Appeal dismissed Rowntree\u2019s challenge\u00a0and upheld\u00a0the original ruling from last August by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which had said the case lacked a \u201creasonable prospect of success\u201d.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blur: Beetlebum (Live from Wembley Stadium)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QO6wZrLThG4?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>In the\u00a0new\u00a0judgment, Lord Justice Miles said the problem with the case was that Rowntree\u2019s side had not put forward a realistic alternative way of distributing the money.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>He said the \u201cblack box royalties problem arises precisely from the absence of accurate information\u201d,\u00a0meaning there was \u201cno plausible basis for suggesting a more accurate (let alone fairer) distribution\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, a PRS For Music spokesperson\u00a0has\u00a0said: \u201cThe Court of Appeal has once again\u00a0recognised\u00a0that this claim has no reasonable prospect of success and has upheld the Competition Appeal Tribunal\u2019s earlier decision to strike it out, vindicating our longstanding position that this claim was never in the interests of PRS members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis class action was fundamentally\u00a0flawed, and\u00a0was a complete misrepresentation of our policies from the outset. It would have resulted in PRS members suing the society they collectively own, despite there being soaring costs attached and no logical basis for doing so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe welcome the decision and look forward to continuing to focus on our main priority which has always been, and remains, delivering value for our members and protecting their rights wherever and whenever their music is used.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><i>NME\u00a0<\/i>has reached out to Rowntree for further comment.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blur On 'The Magic Whip': 'We've Never Made A Record In This Way Before'\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wVK-bnVxK_k?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>The ruling comes amid wider scrutiny of PRS and how money moves through the live music ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year,\u00a0Music Venue Trust\u00a0launched its \u2018Set\u00a0The\u00a0Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees\u2019 campaign, calling for greater accuracy, transparency and fairness in the way PRS-related licensing fees are calculated for grassroots venues.<\/p>\n<p>They\u00a0said\u00a0they\u00a0had\u00a0identified\u00a0more than \u00a3666,000 in discrepancies linked to PRS-related charges across England,\u00a0Scotland\u00a0and Wales, including one alleged \u00a390,000 error that it said could be enough to permanently close a grassroots venue.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0organisation\u00a0stressed that it was not challenging the principle of PRS licensing, but argued that estimated data, incorrect capacity calculations and unclear liability between promoters and venues were putting unnecessary pressure on venues.<\/p>\n<p>The Council\u00a0Of\u00a0Music Makers later echoed calls for PRS to make improvements and be \u201cfair and transparent\u201d,\u00a0while also warning against any reduction in licensing fees that would hit songwriters\u2019 income.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPRS must ensure its licences are fair and transparent for both music-makers and users of music, not least grassroots venues,\u201d the CMM said. \u201cPRS should also employ new technology to overcome inaccuracies and inefficiencies with songwriter payments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Rowntree, last year he released\u00a0<i>No One You Know: Dave Rowntree\u2019s Early Blur Photos<\/i>,\u00a0a\u00a0photobook documenting the band\u2019s formative years.\u00a0Speaking to\u00a0<i>NME\u00a0<\/i>around the release, Rowntree said he still believed there could be a future for Blur, saying: \u201cYou never really know.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0honest truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year,\u00a0Blur also announced a 30th anniversary Record Store Day reissue of their classic live album \u2018Live\u00a0At\u00a0The\u00a0Budokan\u2019, which was recorded during the band\u2019s 1995 tour of Japan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Blur<\/li>\n<li>Dave Rowntree<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_89 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span4 td-is-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-sidebar  tdi_92 td_block_template_2\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 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News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Boardmasters vow to \u201cbe better neighbours\u201d after ongoing rows with local community<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Game Reviews<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Mixtape review: casual gamer\u2019s dream with a killer soundtrack<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Blur\u00a0drummer\u00a0Dave Rowntree\u00a0has lost in his legal battle against PRS For Music over the distribution of so-called \u201cblack box\u201d royalties.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1086\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b><b>Dave Rowntree tells us about his new Blur photo book \u2018No One You Know\u2019 \u2013 and the future of the band<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rowntree had\u00a0sought\u00a0to challenge the way PRS distributes royalties that it has collected but cannot\u00a0match to\u00a0the correct songwriter or publisher because of missing or inaccurate information.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>Those funds are often referred to in the industry as \u201cblack box\u201d royalties, while PRS prefers the term \u201cunidentified royalties\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The case centred on Rowntree\u2019s claim that PRS\u2019 system for distributing those unidentified royalties was unfair to songwriters, and that writers could potentially have been deprived of up to \u00a3200million in earnings.<\/p>\n<p>Today (June 29), however, the Court\u00a0Of\u00a0Appeal dismissed Rowntree\u2019s challenge\u00a0and upheld\u00a0the original ruling from last August by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which had said the case lacked a \u201creasonable prospect of success\u201d.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blur: Beetlebum (Live from Wembley Stadium)\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QO6wZrLThG4?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>In the\u00a0new\u00a0judgment, Lord Justice Miles said the problem with the case was that Rowntree\u2019s side had not put forward a realistic alternative way of distributing the money.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>He said the \u201cblack box royalties problem arises precisely from the absence of accurate information\u201d,\u00a0meaning there was \u201cno plausible basis for suggesting a more accurate (let alone fairer) distribution\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, a PRS For Music spokesperson\u00a0has\u00a0said: \u201cThe Court of Appeal has once again\u00a0recognised\u00a0that this claim has no reasonable prospect of success and has upheld the Competition Appeal Tribunal\u2019s earlier decision to strike it out, vindicating our longstanding position that this claim was never in the interests of PRS members.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis class action was fundamentally\u00a0flawed, and\u00a0was a complete misrepresentation of our policies from the outset. It would have resulted in PRS members suing the society they collectively own, despite there being soaring costs attached and no logical basis for doing so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe welcome the decision and look forward to continuing to focus on our main priority which has always been, and remains, delivering value for our members and protecting their rights wherever and whenever their music is used.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p><i>NME\u00a0<\/i>has reached out to Rowntree for further comment.<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blur On 'The Magic Whip': 'We've Never Made A Record In This Way Before'\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wVK-bnVxK_k?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<p>The ruling comes amid wider scrutiny of PRS and how money moves through the live music ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year,\u00a0Music Venue Trust\u00a0launched its \u2018Set\u00a0The\u00a0Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees\u2019 campaign, calling for greater accuracy, transparency and fairness in the way PRS-related licensing fees are calculated for grassroots venues.<\/p>\n<p>They\u00a0said\u00a0they\u00a0had\u00a0identified\u00a0more than \u00a3666,000 in discrepancies linked to PRS-related charges across England,\u00a0Scotland\u00a0and Wales, including one alleged \u00a390,000 error that it said could be enough to permanently close a grassroots venue.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0organisation\u00a0stressed that it was not challenging the principle of PRS licensing, but argued that estimated data, incorrect capacity calculations and unclear liability between promoters and venues were putting unnecessary pressure on venues.<\/p>\n<p>The Council\u00a0Of\u00a0Music Makers later echoed calls for PRS to make improvements and be \u201cfair and transparent\u201d,\u00a0while also warning against any reduction in licensing fees that would hit songwriters\u2019 income.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPRS must ensure its licences are fair and transparent for both music-makers and users of music, not least grassroots venues,\u201d the CMM said. \u201cPRS should also employ new technology to overcome inaccuracies and inefficiencies with songwriter payments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As for Rowntree, last year he released\u00a0<i>No One You Know: Dave Rowntree\u2019s Early Blur Photos<\/i>,\u00a0a\u00a0photobook documenting the band\u2019s formative years.\u00a0Speaking to\u00a0<i>NME\u00a0<\/i>around the release, Rowntree said he still believed there could be a future for Blur, saying: \u201cYou never really know.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0the\u00a0honest truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year,\u00a0Blur also announced a 30th anniversary Record Store Day reissue of their classic live album \u2018Live\u00a0At\u00a0The\u00a0Budokan\u2019, which was recorded during the band\u2019s 1995 tour of Japan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/blur-drummer-dave-rowntree-loses-prs-court-battle-for-200million-black-box-unpaid-songwriter-royalties-3954007&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dave_rowntree_blur.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Blur drummer Dave Rowntree loses PRS court battle for \u00a3200million \u201cblack box\u201d unpaid songwriter royalties He had sought to challenge the way PRS distributes royalties that cannot be matched to\u00a0the correct songwriter due to missing or inaccurate information By Max Pilley 29th June 2026 Dave Rowntree at Regent Sounds on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2018019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2018019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2018019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2018019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2018019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2018019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}