Where is the Protection
for the Songwriters and Publishers?

Sent to 'Beyond the Pale' by Gary Brooker MBE, Keith Reid
and Simon Platz (defendant / publisher) following
the AWSoP lawsuit judgment, 20 December 2006

The repercussions of this decision are so far-reaching that any musician who has ever played on any recording in the last forty years may now have a potential claim of joint authorship. It is effectively open season on the songwriter.

The net result of Mr Justice Blackburne's decision in this case will mean that songwriters and publishers now have to view all musicians with suspicion as potential claimants for a share in their copyright.

It will mean that, unless all musicians' parts are written for them, no publisher or songwriter will be able to risk making a recording for fear of a possible claim of song writing credit.

It now also seems that if a musician has a claim he is under no obligation to inform the songwriters or publishers of his intention to make this claim.

This creates a ticking time bomb ready to explode whenever the musician chooses and when, possibly, material witnesses have passed away.

This is clearly an horrendous state of affairs and a bad day for all aspects of the music industry.

We shall be appealing this decision. This decision has to be appealed for the sake of all songwriters and music publishers.

Gary Brooker MBE, Keith Reid and Simon Platz