The bosses of Access All Areas, a UK-based digital jukebox firm that distributed copyrighted songs without permission, to at least 200 pubs, have been jailed.
The company turned over more than £3m since it was set up in 2001 and never paid music licensing bodies PPL nor MCPS fees, despite claiming to be fully licensed and using both company trademarks on its website.
The company changed names several times and in May 2008, trading standards executed a warrant on behalf of PPL and the BPI to raid the offices. They found evidence of copyright infringement, which over the years had totalled hundreds of thousands of pounds. The company traded under different names including Access All Areas Entertainment, Access All Areas Production, Mixopia and Tracks Alive. It sold and rented audio/visual jukeboxes to pubs and other leisure venues in the UK.
One of the defendants, Malcolm Wylie, 59, has now been jailed for three years and banned from being a director for 10 years. He admitted one count of distributing infringing copyright work. His son, Peter Wylie, 27, was found guilty of two counts of the same offence. He was given a nine-month prison sentence and a 15-month sentence to run concurrently. The other defendant, William Ross, was given a 36-week prison sentence, suspended for one year as part of a community order.
Commenting on the convictions, Chris Black of leading jukebox provider Sound Leisure told InterGame: "Since the introduction of digital technology to our industry certain rogue elements have seized the opportunity to manufacture and operate machines illegally at the expense of reputable and respected companies.
"Following many years of lobbying the PPL on behalf of our customers, I am greatly encouraged that substantial sentences are being achieved. I would like to thank the PPL for the work they are continuing to do in order to redress the balance that has been weighed heavily in the favour of illegal operators for far too long."
