Music

Our music team has wide experience drawn from all parts of the music industry. We act for performers, music publishers, record companies and collecting societies. We also advise those that need music licences from rights owners. Our clients often use new media and new merchandising platforms, and our lawyers have a real understanding of the current legal issues that must be overcome in order to work profitable on new platforms.

We can advise on:

- music industry contracts and publishing and record deals
- enforcement of copyright
- alternative dispute resolution, especially mediation
- criminal prosecutions for copyright theft
- anti-piracy strategies
- copyright tribunal references
- e-commerce issues
- collective licensing
- premises licensing
- reputation protection
- employment issues 

Members of the team have extensive industry knowledge.

Nick Kounoupias was Legal Adviser at MCPS for 6 years, Head of Litigation at the MCPS-PRS Alliance for 10 years and managed the MCPS anti-piracy unit for nine years. He pioneered the use of criminal prosecutions in the music industry. Nick also has very extensive copyright tribunal experience including project managing the Music Alliance defence before the Copyright Tribunal in the online music reference. He is also a fully accredited mediator.

John Yates is a commercial lawyer who previously worked for a well known Music PR agency working with all four major labels, a number of independents and major bands such as the Foo Fighters and The Happy Mondays. He is a board member of  Brighton Live, an annual event that aims to promote the best of Brighton's musical talent.

Rodney Bellamy-Wood was Copyright Manager and then Business Affairs Manager for Music Sales, a leading independent music and book publisher. He brings to the team practical hands on experience of music publishing, enabling the team to combine technical legal advice with the commercial and business implications.