Electric Picnic gets go-ahead after royalties case settled

THE IRISH Music Rights Organisation (Imro) has agreed to issue a licence for this year’s Electric Picnic music festival.

In a statement released yesterday, Imro also said it would review the tariffs it charges promoters of multi-stage music events.

The announcement follows mediation talks with POD Concerts, promoter of the Electric Picnic, which runs for three days at the end of August in Stradbally, Co Laois.

Court proceedings were brought by Imro against POD Concerts last month, seeking more than €432,000 in alleged outstanding royalties related to a series of music festivals going back four years, including the Electric Picnic 2007, Garden Party 2006 and 2007, and Love Box 2007.

The case was adjourned by Mr Justice Peter Kelly to allow mediation. Mediation ended on Wednesday night with the agreement by Imro to issue a licence for this year’s Electric Picnic and to review its tariffs for multi-stage events. Following the review, the tariff may then be ruled on by an independent arbitrator.

Imro said it was “satisfied to confirm that it is now in a secure position to issue a licence to POD Concerts for Electric Picnic 2008 and other POD Concerts events”.

Imro had said in the High Court that POD Concerts should not be permitted to proceed with this year’s event until the allegedly unpaid royalties were paid.

POD Concerts concluded its response to the tariff review with the statement: “Electric Picnic 2008 will be proceeding.”