One of the writers of ‘Can’t Smile Without You’ is trying to extort royalties from THFC for use of the song at football matches.
Co-writer Geoff Morrow, is claiming Spurs are ignoring him.
‘I hoped that Spurs would be willing to sit down and meet with me to discuss this, but they haven’t been interested,’
‘When we wrote the song, we never imagined it would become a football anthem. It was written as a love song. What is really frustrating is Spurs won’t accept they are using our song.’
This will be a curious legal position, if anyone is prepared to take it to court.
Any business or organisation that plays music in public for employees or customers, including through radio, TV, digital devices, or live performances, needs a PRS licence. One might presume that ENIC feel that the club is therefore already covered by the licence.
A PRS licence is issued by PRS for Music to ensure that songwriters, composers, and publishers receive royalties when their music is played or performed publicly. In the UK, this licence is typically obtained as part of a single, joint licence called TheMusicLicence, administered by PPL PRS Ltd.
Previously, businesses needed two separate licences; now, TheMusicLicence covers both sets of rights in one transaction, making it easier to play the vast majority of commercially available music legally.
The licence allows the legal use of music in public spaces, covering both live and recorded music. It allows for performances from sources like radio, TV, and other digital devices.
What appears strange here is that the stadium plays all manner of music, including live acts, so it is unlikely not to have all the appropriate licences.
