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Hi.i have a situation which involves music royalties which have never been paid.
In 2000 i cowrote a song which has been used on countless compilation albums since. A contract was signed which was also in 2000.I don't have a copy of the contract and nor does the publisher.Shortly after i signed the contract we fell out over sales royalties.They were at the time contractualy obliged to send statements and payments to me.They never did and soon after the company moved without trace.
I have spent many years at different times trying to contact and find where they went.All i could manage to gather was a PO box address which i never received a reply from.I got that info from the prs who informed me they were collecting on my song and recent payments had been made.Since then i have tried letters to the PO box..and internet searching for contact info.In 2004 i managed to make contact with the owner of the publishing company by phone who has told me every excuse in the book and despite asking, never sent royalty statements or payments.Evasive tacticts involved not giving me a present address or email contact, "ill look into it" and ignored.Eventually in 2006 i managed to speak with the publisher again by phone.She informed me the company had been sold and i should contact them as she had nothing to do with it anymore..only a name was given to me by her.I tried tracking down the name and have only just worked out who is collecting now.It is another company name but she is secretary.
This has gone on since 2001 and i have not been able to even think about court without information they refuse or won't give.I had no contact address, no figures and no statements.
Fast forward to now and i have the company name and number address.They have sent me statements but only from 2006..(missing the period the song had the most use.) They have agreed they owe me money but not paid.I asked the publisher (the original company owner and now new sectretary) why she had told me she had nothing to do with it..she denied saying this and put the whole reason for non communication on not having my proper house number.Instead of sending to 165 she was sending to 65.That was her excuse for all these years of evasive tactics.
The question i would like to ask is about the limitations act. As i understand i can only claim 6 years back unless there has been a concealment stopping me bringing my case to court.In the circumstances above, when would the limitation period begin and what are the chances of getting all of my royalties from 2001..
Many thanks
In 2000 i cowrote a song which has been used on countless compilation albums since. A contract was signed which was also in 2000.I don't have a copy of the contract and nor does the publisher.Shortly after i signed the contract we fell out over sales royalties.They were at the time contractualy obliged to send statements and payments to me.They never did and soon after the company moved without trace.
I have spent many years at different times trying to contact and find where they went.All i could manage to gather was a PO box address which i never received a reply from.I got that info from the prs who informed me they were collecting on my song and recent payments had been made.Since then i have tried letters to the PO box..and internet searching for contact info.In 2004 i managed to make contact with the owner of the publishing company by phone who has told me every excuse in the book and despite asking, never sent royalty statements or payments.Evasive tacticts involved not giving me a present address or email contact, "ill look into it" and ignored.Eventually in 2006 i managed to speak with the publisher again by phone.She informed me the company had been sold and i should contact them as she had nothing to do with it anymore..only a name was given to me by her.I tried tracking down the name and have only just worked out who is collecting now.It is another company name but she is secretary.
This has gone on since 2001 and i have not been able to even think about court without information they refuse or won't give.I had no contact address, no figures and no statements.
Fast forward to now and i have the company name and number address.They have sent me statements but only from 2006..(missing the period the song had the most use.) They have agreed they owe me money but not paid.I asked the publisher (the original company owner and now new sectretary) why she had told me she had nothing to do with it..she denied saying this and put the whole reason for non communication on not having my proper house number.Instead of sending to 165 she was sending to 65.That was her excuse for all these years of evasive tactics.
The question i would like to ask is about the limitations act. As i understand i can only claim 6 years back unless there has been a concealment stopping me bringing my case to court.In the circumstances above, when would the limitation period begin and what are the chances of getting all of my royalties from 2001..
Many thanks
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