LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- The organist on the seminal 1960s song `` A Whiter Shade of Pale '' has won a long-running legal battle for a share in the royalties for the tune . Matthew Fisher , shown here in a 2006 photo , has won a battle over `` Whiter Shade of Pale '' royalties . Matthew Fisher sued former Procol Harum bandmate Gary Brooker in the House of Lords , Britain 's highest court . A lower court had ruled in his favor in 2006 , granting him co-writing credits and a share of the royalties . Another court partly overturned the ruling in 2008 , giving Fisher co-writing credit but no money . The Court of Appeal said Fisher had waited too long to bring his claim to court . The House of Lords disagreed , said there was no time limit on such claims . Fisher -- whose organ chords open the anthemic song and carry the psychedelic tune through its final swells -- says on his Web site that the song is the most-played ever on the books of Phonographic Performance Ltd. Lord David Neuberger of Abbotsbury said the organist had played a key role in the success of the song . `` Fisher 's subsequent contribution was significant , and , especially the introductory eight bars , an important factor in the work 's success , '' he wrote in his verdict . The ruling could be worth a lot of money to him . BBC television , for example , pays £43.89 ( $ 72.40 ) per minute in royalties each time it plays the four-minute song , according to PRS for Music , which collects royalties on behalf of music writers , composers and publishers . BBC Radio 2 pays £19.35 ( $ 31.92 ) per minute . Writers and composers receive royalties until 70 years after their death in the British system .
Matthew Fisher sued former Procol Harum bandmate Gary Brooker . Fisher was seeking share of royalties for `` A Whiter Shade of Pale '' Lower court had ruled in his favor in 2006 , but another partly overturned ruling in 2008 .