Charity Forced to Pay Copyright Fee So Kids Can Sing Carols

[B]Charity Forced to Pay Copyright Fee So Kids Can Sing Carols[/B]
December 09, 2007 
Christmas 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 [B]the UK.[/B] 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

lol, this is so funny, but so, so, so sad.

That's ludicrous. That PRS is going crazy and really overstepping it's bounds with that one.

yeah, crazy world we live in.
 
Here in the US we also have the BSA which is like RIAA for software, they'll be making their presence more known next year.
[URL]http://www.vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?p=114691#post114691[/URL]

Yeah, but that's for like ripping off software right?

say you have a small grphics company and buy photoshop...then your buddy joins the team. You have to pay to have him use the program you just bought under licensing laws. Most small companies dont realize theyre breaking the law with sum of the stuff they use on a daily basis. 
 
People should REALLY read and understand liscensing agreements agreements these days

So, because you bought yourself a copy, and you put it on your computer to use. Then you buy more computers, you need to buy more copies? IF you own the computers, and you own the program, then you should be able to put it on every computer you want, as long as you own them.  I think it's just another marketing scheme to get more money out of people.

I don't blame people for downloading the stuff if it's going to be like this. 

If you buy that copy of photoshop, you should own it, and do whatever you want with it. 

Are they going to start charging you for burning backups now too?

yeah, read the agreements when you install. 
 
Most people dont know these things...but its the Law.
 
I guess thats why they want to know how many people are in your company when u register your software online.

[QUOTE=Caoboy;114705]So, because you bought yourself a copy, and you put it on your computer to use. Then you buy more computers, you need to buy more copies? IF you own the computers, and you own the program, then you should be able to put it on every computer you want, as long as you own them.  I think it's just another marketing scheme to get more money out of people.

I don't blame people for downloading the stuff if it's going to be like this. 

If you buy that copy of photoshop, you should own it, and do whatever you want with it. 
[/quote]
No, because then one person can buy one copy and give it to all his friends and employees. Software has licenses, they must be obeyed. If disobeyed, there are consequences. It's up to people to read them. The EULA is always shown during installation and you have to click "I have read and agree to the terms etc." before proceeding.

[quote]
Are they going to start charging you for burning backups now too?[/QUOTE]
Are you serious?

Yeah I am serious.

I know I'm fighting a losing battle here, but it should be that if you own one copy, no matter how many computers you distribute it on, as long as you own those computers, then you shouldn't be screwed like they are doing. Now that architecture firm on the other hand, since they downloaded and got around the programs..it's a different story. 

I know there were some mmorpg's or some type of online games where you could only register it 3 times maximum, and after that, you had to buy it again. Totally understandable what they were doing, but say you had your computers crash and lost all your info, or bought a new computer, or whatever needed to happen happened so that you had to register it more than that. You're SOL now. 

What about expanding companies? You shouldn't have to buy more software if it's right in front of your face, and you've paid for it, and so on and so forth. That's my beef. I don't work for any companies that would make it matter, so it doesn't really bother me that much. 

I'll make sure to just buy it now.



BACK ON TOPIC NOW. 

Are they going to start charging people for listening to their radios?

It's funny, because I do believe I recall something about keeping the RADAR lines open and free, and you aren't allowed to charge over airwaves. 

How are they to go around that one?

I don't see how they can actually go out and fine people for listening to the radio too loud..that's gestapo tactics it seems like...

In Malaysia, all shopping malls are playing radios instead of music due to these copyright laws.

IMHO, the problem with software is that it can be duplicate easily unlike hardware where it's tangeable.

Imagine the possibility of 'duplicating' your newly bought set of Works/aeros/fusas & kinsunas... All your favorite VIP shops will be outta business in no time man.

Since u guys have high respect for VIP stuffs and despise knockoffs so much, shouldn't it apply to any copyrighted material irregardless of form?

Guys, theres another thread in regards to the software issue: [URL]http://www.vipstylecars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8289[/URL]

[QUOTE=kaizer;114974]Since u guys have high respect for VIP stuffs and despise knockoffs so much, shouldn't it apply to any copyrighted material irregardless of form?[/QUOTE]

knockoffsof tangible items, and copyright violations regarding public use of audio/visual media is apples and fax machines.

Heard about this way back. It's an unfortunate truth. B-days and X-mas songs copywritten material. We live in a sick world!

USA is the dumb nation (not offending anyone personally) and UK is the nation who has ridiculous rules/laws.. :pat: :shrug: