Charity Forced to Pay Copyright Fee So Kids Can Sing Carols
Written by enigmax on December 09, 2007Christmas is known world-wide as a time for sharing, a time for giving. But for one charity, instead of Santa arriving with gifts, the copyright police turned up demanding money. Why? Because the charity allows children to sing carols on the premises and their kitchen radio is a little loud. You couldn’t make it up.
Be under no illusion, being unlicensed to play music to the public is a very serious situation in the UK. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 states that if you use copyright music in public, you have to get permission from every single copyright holder to play their music. Or pay a fee to the right outfit.
Car maintenance chain Kwik Fit is currently tied up in a bitter legal battle with the UK Performing Rights Society (PRS). It’s alleged that Kwik Fit’s mechanics allowed their radios to be played within earshot of the public - a truly heinous crime for which the PRS are demanding £200,000 in damages.
According to a report, the PRS are at it again. The staff at a charity also received a visit from a PRS officer who declared that because a staff radio in the kitchen could be overheard by the public in their tea-room, they would need a license. The charity, Dam House, which was originally set up to save a historic building and offer community and health facilities, had to have a fund-raising event to raise the money for the license.
However, having purchased a license, this wasn’t the end of the matter. The PRS then started asking more questions, and when they discovered that kids sing in a carol concert there at Christmas, they declared that the premises were under licensed. Yes, of course - the PRS wanted yet more money.
“We got really worked up when they told us how much we would have to pay this year” said charity trustee, Margaret Hatton. “They asked us what facilities we had and we think they are charging more because they found out we’ve got a function room.”
The next quote from Margaret really speaks for itself - has the world gone mad?
“They told us the only way to avoid paying to sing the carols is if the kids are told to stick to old songs which are out of copyright.”
Next thing you know someone will be saying ‘Happy Birthday‘ is copyrighted and you can’t sing that to the public in the tea-rooms. Well, unfortunately it is, and legally you can’t.
Elaine Hurst, another Dam House trustee explained: “We know the recording artists need to be paid for their work but this is ridiculous.”
Every TV owning family in the UK has to have a UK TV License by law, the proceeds of which go to fund BBC TV and BBC radio stations nationwide. To charge a charity money because the public can overhear a radio is crazy, especially when you consider the public already paid another license to be allowed to listen to the content coming out of its speakers.
Merry Christmas PRS
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232 Responses (Add yours or TrackBack)
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I find it _incredibly_ ironic that their name is PRS. If you know your acronyms, this can also stand for public relations. What a bunch of self-serving idiots.
And what an awful PR stunt. I wouldn’t doubt that they’ll be shamed pretty badly if a reliable news source publicizes this.
And I bet it won’t be BBC.
the sad part is u couldnt make this crap up if u tried but its all so so freaking true
Typical. In todays day and age, they aren’t happy unless the middle guy gets the shaft and the rich get richer.
Insane shit.
[quote comment="235123"]the sad part is u couldnt make this crap up if u tried but its all so so freaking true[/quote]
couldn’t agree more![quote comment="235124"]Typical. In todays day and age, they aren’t happy unless the middle guy gets the shaft and the rich get richer.[/quote]
QFT!
Ridiculous. If this continues, we won’t be able to tell any word without being sued or buying a license to talk.
“After saying ‘Happy New Year!’ entire world had been sued by PRS.”
Actually the Happy Birthday song is copyrighted and you need to pay royalties for public use.
That would be met with a great big “fuck off” if they tried to shake me down for that. Honestly, that’s about the most insane thing I’ve heard all week.
I’ve probably said it before, but I’ll say it again. Every single stupid case like this needs to be settled on Judge Judy. I’d pay to watch that.
Same shit happens in Finland.
Next we will copyright whistling, humming, and drumming on various objects. We are pursuing a lawsuit against the little drummer boy, as his drumming could be heard just outside of the manjor. It’s about time these kids pay up; they have been freeloading way too long. Christmas isn’t about the Jesus, it’s about copyright infringement, and egg nog.
-Festivus for the Rest of us.
Is it April the first?
So this is what the mafia does now…
our great country britain… Shove the place..
I make one rule, for every normal person that gets fukked over i will TORRENT 20 more till this shit stops.
*ASHAMED* to be called english.
BTW thats MY car radio u can hear & i WILL be charging u PRS for Battery power & then suing you INVASION of PRIVACY u nosey mofo`s.
PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY to any whose birthday it is.
SUE ME fukkers, i`m game…
If anything this happening just gives the bt community more reason to keep on fighting cause it seems that we are the only ones trying to do something about greedy “copyright” holders from milking the public for every last cent that it has to offer.
OMG! They are sick to their minds! Sound of a radio in a charity is heard by the poor kids? So fucking what?! Have some respect God damn you people!
that is so fucked up
[quote comment="235084"]It’s a shame that big company “Society’s” have no ethical values anymore. All they care about is $$$$.[/quote]
The Corporation as Psychopath
It’s Dr. Robert Hare’s latest contribution to the public awareness of “corporate psychopathy.” He appeared in the 2003 documentary The Corporation, giving authority to the film’s premise that corporations are “sociopathic” (a synonym for “psychopathic”) because they ruthlessly seek their own selfish interests — “shareholder value” — without regard for the harms they cause to others, such as environmental damage.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/96/open_boss.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0218-01.htm
That’s so disgraceful!
Jesus Christ! What the fuck?! Oh my GOD!!!
never underestimate humans and their greed.
I think everyone should go to the people of PRS’s houses on Christmas Day at midnight, and take a shit in their chimneys… Coal would work well too, but you know that’s expensive and they’ll find a way to make money off of it. Make sure you eat a lot of prunes that night guys!
And this is why I’ll never buy another CD EVER.
If you really want to support the band, buy a Tee-shirt, go to a concert, they get alot more money from that anyways.
Also tell your friends about the unknown band that you love but isn’t well known.
SCREW the Record Companies!!!
So according to their logic… when I’m stuck in traffic in the summer with the radio on and the window down I should be paying royalties?
fuck off PRS…
OMG. the sound of a radio is heard by people!?
Well, they would have heard the exactly same thing in their own radio if they had been at home. Is it now illegal to listen on a neighboors radio?
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