The Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have agreed to an undisclosed libel settlement following allegations that the duo made a minimal contribution to songs that bear their name. Tennant and Lowe filed suit against author Roger Scruton and publisher Gerald Duckworth & Company, over claims made in the book An Intelligent Person's Guide To Modern Culture.

Scruton's book falsely suggested songs recorded in the Pet Shop Boys' name were nearly entirely the work of sound engineers, thus deceiving fans.

Counsel for the Pet Shop Boys told reporters that the defendants settled after recognizing that the allegations were entirely without foundation, and represented a serious slur on the Pet Shop Boys' professional and personal integrity. Tennant and Lowe each received a sum for damages, as well as legal costs.