Licensing Issues See SoundCloud Hit With Lawsuit Over Copyright Infringement

Music streaming behemoth SoundCloud has found itself on the receiving end of a lawsuit over copyright infringement courtesy of the UK's largest music-copyright body, PRS For Music, it has been reported.

According to Reuters (via the paid Financial Times), the suit has arisen out of an apparent failure between SoundCloud and major labels including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group to obtain licenses to stream their artists' works.

While early reports and speculation suggested that the streaming company would face a raft of lawsuits from those organisations, they're yet to materialise; however, apparently tired of waiting for action, PRS For Music has said it feels it has been left with no choice but to pursue legal action. 

"Following five years of unsuccessful negotiations, we now find ourselves in a situation where we have no alternative but to commence legal proceedings against the online music service SoundCloud," PRS For Music reportedly wrote to its members.

As Reuters reports, SoundCloud described the decision as "regrettable".