€432,000 sought from Electric Picnic promoter

THE IRISH Music Rights Organisation has brought court proceedings against POD Concerts seeking more than €432,000 in alleged outstanding royalties related to a series of music festivals going back four years, including the Electric Picnic concerts.

If the monies are not paid, the organisation may proceed with an application to restrain future live music events run by POD Concerts, including this summer’s Electric Picnic festival, Mr Justice Peter Kelly was told yesterday.

The judge has adjourned the dispute for three weeks to see if it can be resolved through mediation.

Brian O’Moore SC, for the music rights organisation, said the dispute dated back to 2004. His client had in correspondence heard a range of excuses from John Reynolds for the failure to return either the income details from the concerts in question and the payments themselves.

It was repeatedly stated that Mr Reynolds would deal with the matter “tomorrow” but “tomorrow never comes”, Mr O’Moore said.

Instead, the organisation was told Mr Reynolds was busy or out of the country or, on one occasion, had a heavy cold.

POD Concerts had suggested at some point it might challenge the tariff imposed by the organisation but no challenge had been brought to date. In the proceedings, the Irish Music Rights Organisation says it had sought some €180,000 for the three Electric Picnic events of 2004, 2005 and 2006 but had only received – on February 29th last – two post-dated cheques, dated April 11th, 2008, for about €80,000.

It was not prepared to accept cheques on that basis and returned them on March 13th, 2008.

POD Concerts had also delayed until last February providing income returns for Garden Party 2006 and 2007, Love Box 2007 and Electric Picnic 2007, the organisation claims. On foot of those returns, it sought total payments of about €246,844 but none of those monies were paid, it said.

Mr O’Moore said POD Concerts had no entitlement to run Electric Picnic again.