A new company, FCLA Ltd, has officially launched to support UK amusement and leisure operators navigate the complex world of music licensing and copyright compliance. The Fair Copyright Licensing Alliance brings together respected names from across legal, operational and copyright protection sectors to offer fair, transparent, and specialist guidance to businesses who play music as part of their operations.

There are some familiar names on the founding members roster of the newly formed organisation the Fair Copyright Licensing Alliance. And they mean business, most notably for the operators battling in the arena of music licensing.

Leading the way is John White, Director of Arete Solutions and former CEO of Bacta, Nick Kounoupias, a leading intellectual property lawyer and founder of Kounoupias IP, and Rob Gilbert, MD of My Music Solutions, an expert in licensing and copyright administration.

The company has been established in response to growing concerns from operators around the cost and clarity of copyright licensing: particularly for sites using music, such as background playlists or amusement machine soundtracks.

“Too many operators are paying unnecessarily high fees or, worse, facing demands for royalties they may not actually owe,” said John White. “FCLA was created to bring clarity, fairness, and industry-specific knowledge to an area that has long lacked all three. We know we can save companies money – on average nearly 20 percent of their bill.”

The alliance has particular expertise in determining which forms of music use require licensing from collecting societies such as PPL and PRS, and which fall outside of these bodies’ repertories: such as music embedded in machines that is not commercially released or assigned to licensing agencies.

To mark the launch, FCLA is offering a free music licensing audit to qualifying businesses. This no-obligation service will assess whether venues are correctly licensed, overpaying, or in some cases, paying for usage that doesn’t require licensing at all.

“As our name implies we stand for fairness in music licensing, which is something our customers feel that they are not getting any longer. If you think that you are being unfairly treated in your music licensing please contact one of the team,” added Nick Kounoupias. 

The FCLA also offers an outsourced licensing support service for multi-site operators and trade associations, using its in-depth sector knowledge and daily engagement with rights bodies to help ensure members are both compliant and cost-efficient. FCLA will also take on tariff negotiations on behalf of any sector that needs to augment its arguments with experienced and knowledgeable copyright negotiators. “Industry sectors and individual businesses often only think about licensing once or twice a year, typically when a demand letter comes through the door,” said Rob Gilbert. “We’re here to offer ongoing, professional support that reflects real-world use and business realities.  Companies and organisations often lack the time or knowledge to challenge these demands.”

Operators interested in taking advantage of the free audit or learning more about FCLA’s services can contact the team via: john@fcla.co.uk;nick@fcla.co.uk; rob@fcla.co.uk