Music off menu at South Shields restaurant after High Court fine

The boss of Man Vs Food, in the town’s Hudson Street, has been taken to London’s High Court and hit with a ban after he was caught playing music there without a licence.

One of the country’s top judges has also slapped him with a hefty, £2,202 bill for the legal costs run up in taking him to court.

Music police called at the premises and heard music being played there when proprietor, Mohammed Asif Nadeem, who was not at court or represented, did not hold a current Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) licence.

The pay-up or shut-up order was imposed after the judge heard that a PPL inspector heard music being played on the premises, when Nadeem did not hold a PPL licence.

The inspector heard tracks including “Southern Sun”, “Sloop John B” and “What’cha Know About” during the visit on October 13 last year.

Lawyers for PPL told the judge that after the inspector’s visit solicitors had sent letters to the premises informing them of the nature and extent of PPL’s repertoire and the fact that the playing in public of sound recordings without PPL’s licence or permission constitutes infringement of its copyright, and inviting them to acquire a licence.

The ban applies to all forms of mechanically recorded music such as records, tapes and CDs in PPL’s repertoire.

No comment was available from the restaurant.