PRS For Music has formally suspended its rights representation with Russian society RAO, and announced its plans to support Ukrainian members.
While announcing the suspension of the relationship, PRS For Music stressed that does not intend "to punish the Russian composer, songwriter and publisher communities who support peace".
The full statement reads: "PRS for Music has today formally suspended, with immediate effect, our rights representation relationship with RAO, the Russian collecting society for musical works, pending confirmation of its separation from the Russian government and those individuals and companies on the sanctions lists. We are also working with CISAC to consider the ongoing membership of Russian societies in the global network. It is not our desire to punish the Russian composer, songwriter and publisher communities who support peace, and we will work with the global community to identify opportunities to amplify the voices of protest.
"We will be contacting all our members based in the Ukraine to offer our support in their time of need and are working with PRS Members’ Fund to make financial support available to them.”
The statement from PRS For Music is the latest in a line of music companies reacting to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by halting or scaling back operations.
