THE owner of a popular Newport bar has been given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £20,000 for illegally playing music.

John Fletcher, owner of the Birdcage in Newport, has been ordered by the High Court to pay music royalties collector Phonographic Performance Ltd. £6,000 in damages and £14,000 in court costs after he played music without a licence.

The court heard how Fletcher had been given a ban on playing music at the Market Street venue in October 2013 after he did not hold a current licence with company PPL but was caught playing hits including "We Found Love" and "Feel this Moment".

And just over 18 months later, on January 10 this year, he was caught flouting the ban and was taken before Mr Justice Arnold at the High Court where he pleaded guilty.

The court heard how Fletcher "persistently failed to comply with the legal requirement for a PPL music licence after being repeatedly contacted and given ample opportunity to rectify the situation".

Fletcher now faces a prison sentence of 28 days if the venue continues to play recorded music without a licence.

Music licensing company PPL works on behalf of thousands of record company members and performers to licence recorded music for broadcasted, online and public performance use.

The company's 90,000 members include major record labels as well as globally successful performances from orchestral players to singers. They issue licences to businesses and organisations across the UK which require a licence by law. Licensees include bars, nightclubs, shops, hotels, offices, factories and gyms.

Christine Geissmar, Operations Director at PPL, said: “There is an intrinsic value that recorded music adds to businesses, and this judgement acknowledges that the performers of the music and record companies should be fairly rewarded.

"This ruling demonstrates how seriously the courts treat copyright infringement and reiterates that music can only be played in public if the right licences are obtained. Businesses that choose to play recorded music without a licence may face legal action and possibly hefty financial and other consequences as a result."