Kent Records reproduced and distributed the song unauthorized by Al Reed and listed the song under "Copyright Control", illegally.
Not true. The owner's being designated as "Copyright Control" simply means that at the time the record was manufactured, the owner was unknown to PRS for Music, the British performing rights organisation, which administers mechanical licenses for music in Britain. "Copyright Control" means that the mechanical royalties payable are placed in a special bank account until the owner is identified, at which time they are paid out. See the section on Copyright Control (page 825) in Kohn on Music Licensing, the standard reference book on the law of music licensing.
Not being a British company but an American one, Chervalin Publishing Company is not affiliated with PRS. Most American music publishers are affiliated with the Harry Fox Agency, the local equivalent of PRS. Harry Fox has reciprocal agreements for foreign representation with the performing rights organisations of many different countries, including PRS.
In any case, any claim for missing mechanical royalties for a musical work designated "Copyright Control" should go through PRS. Any suggestion of illegality or copyright infringement would be a nonstarter, as no copyright infringement has occurred. Copyright Control is precisely the way to do things legally and avoid infringement of unidentified copyright owners' rights.
A1, A6, B5 and B7 unissued before this release
Ⓟ Gusto Records (B2, B5: Brunswick Records Corp.)
Under License form Columbia Special Products, a service of CBS Records, a division of CBS Records Inc.
Ⓒ1985 Ace Records Ltd
Sleeve designed by Phil Smee at Waldo's
Mastered by Ray Staff at Trident (on back)
Deadwax (etched)
A: 020 B-2392 A-1 KENT 038 A {joined letters ???}
B: 020 B-2392 B-1 KENT 038 B {joined letters ???}