THE High Court yesterday lifted restrictions on music played by a number of disco operators, including a brother and nephew of former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds and former Fianna Fail Senator, Mr Bernard McGlinchey.
The court also decided that money already paid to Phonographic Performance (Ireland) Ltd (PPI) should be returned and that a claim by the disco owners for damages be heard later.
Mr John Reynolds, owner of the POD nightclub in Harcourt Street, Dublin, and his father, Mr John Patrick Reynolds, owner of the Longford Arms Hotel, Longford, were among the operators who took the High Court proceedings arising out of a recent Supreme Court finding.
The Supreme Court had decided that RTE and a number of discos and clubs can offer royalty payments to record companies for playing recordings in public and refer any dispute on the sum to be paid to the Controller of Patents.
PPI, of Temple Road, Blackrock, Dublin, is a licensing body for records owned by international companies and runs a licensing scheme under which anybody who wishes to play records in public may apply for a licence.
The disco owners have challenged the PPI's right to claim copyright on all recordings.
Mr John Reynolds jnr is to have £9,270 which he paid by of licence fee returned to him, his father is to get £34,000 returned.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Costello, in his judgment, said the application arose from six actions in which the PPI sought restraint orders against the owners of hotels and discos.
The Supreme Court had ruled that the PPI was not entitled to such orders and he directed that the orders be lifted and the money paid be returned.
The basis of the claims was that the PPI were, was the owner of the copyright of recorded music.