Woman Sued for Singing

[Eric the Grey]

Apparently, the PRS thinks that singing constitutes a performance, even if you're just singing to keep yourself amused.



Eric the Grey

[Green_Fairy]

lol hope they never stop by my sbux...we boogie there all the time.

[mikoyan29]

You have got to be kidding me? Greedy bastards.

[Amina516]

Wow. A license to play a radio? Thats interesting. Anyone from over the pond care to tell us a little more about this PRB?

Im glad she wasnt sued though. That woulda been insane.

[Eric the Grey]

From the PRS's own website:

We exist to collect and pay royalties to our members when their music is exploited in one of a number of ways – when it is recorded onto any format and distributed to the public, performed or played in public, broadcast or made publicly available online.

Basically, they extort money from people and business. Take a look at the articles about them over on Techdirt. More often, they make themselves look like fools or asses.

Edit: Make sure you look at the bottom of the page about the woman who played music to her horses.


Eric the Grey

[Caveat Emptor]

Wow. A license to play a radio? Thats interesting. Anyone from over the pond care to tell us a little more about this PRB?

Im glad she wasnt sued though. That woulda been insane.

In the UK you need a license to own a TV or radio and have to renew it every year. AFAIK, they don't get revenue by way of ads the way we do in the states. By the way this article sounds, you apparently can't play a radio in a business establishment without a license either.

[RayvenQ]

Emptor, you're essentially right, you need a licence if you have a TV that's able to be hooked up, but the proceeds go to the BBC only, every other channel does with having ads. The BBC has no ads though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Licence#United_Kingdom

The UK does seem to love its taxes though (and thats essentially what these kinds of licences are.)

[Mnemjian]

Why don't the PRS crack down on musical performances like 'Let's Listen To Every Annoying Ringtone I Have While We Ride The Bus Together!' or the one-man performance art show I saw on the train last week -- 'I'm A Loud Important Man And I'm On The Phone!'...?

I saw "Loud Important Man On The Phone" just this morning while I was getting a latte. I tell you, coffeehouse art has really gone downhill.

[ditchdj]

Seems like these days ALL industries are desperately trying to suck as much money as humanly possible out of the public. By hook or by crook. It's a free-for-all. Or, should I say......A FEE-for-all.

[Eric the Grey]

That's not too far from here, actually!

Why don't the PRS crack down on musical performances like 'Let's Listen To Every Annoying Ringtone I Have While We Ride The Bus Together!' or the one-man performance art show I saw on the train last week -- 'I'm A Loud Important Man And I'm On The Phone!'...?

Well, it has been tried here in the US: Somewhat off-topic link.

Seems like these days ALL industries are desperately trying to suck as much money as humanly possible out of the public. By hook or by crook. It's a free-for-all. Or, should I say......A FEE-for-all.

More and more often, that seems to be the case. Too many companies are not keeping up to the technology, and not adapting quick enough, and they do loose money. Innovate or die!


Eric the Grey

[sld72382]

The USA version of PRS is ASCAP, aka asshat. While their intentions are good (they make sure artist/composers/songwriters get paid) they sometimes try and do stuff that make them look like greedy bastards.

Four examples:

You can't have a radio in any money-making establishment without first paying a license. Which is stupid as the radio station already pays one to broadcast the music in the first place.

Let's say you break out a keyboard in a coffee shop and start playing and singing. If an ASCAP agent hears you he/she will probably demand you pay a performance fee or stop.

When a bar owner books a cover band, they have to pay a license to ASCAP. Even if the band is not charging people to see them.

ASCAP recently said cell phone ringtones, when played where other people can hear them, are a public performance and therefore providers need to figure out a way to detect when a phone rings so they can send royalties to ASCAP. Think I'm making this up? Here it is: click for story.

EDIT: Looks like ASCAP lost the ringtone battle: Click here.

[Javarod]

The USA version of PRS is ASCAP, aka asshat. While their intentions are good (they make sure artist/composers/songwriters get paid) they sometimes try and do stuff that make them look like greedy bastards.

Four examples:

You can't have a radio in any money-making establishment without first paying a license. Which is stupid as the radio station already pays one to broadcast the music in the first place.

Let's say you break out a keyboard in a coffee shop and start playing and singing. If an ASCAP agent hears you he/she will probably demand you pay a performance fee or stop.

When a bar owner books a cover band, they have to pay a license to ASCAP. Even if the band is not charging people to see them.

ASCAP recently said cell phone ringtones, when played where other people can hear them, are a public performance and therefore providers need to figure out a way to detect when a phone rings so they can send royalties to ASCAP. Think I'm making this up? Here it is: click for story.

EDIT: Looks like ASCAP lost the ringtone battle: Click here.

You missed two, ASCAP and PRS both want to collect money for the samples that Amazon and ItUNES let you play, as well as one for the music in YouTube videos (even though YouTube pays them already). I think they've also been pushing to collect a licensing fee when videos are embedded in your site from places like YouTube. The original idea was sound, music on the radio is basically advertising for the singer, but for the people who make that song possible, they don't really get much out of it, certainly not a fair share. Unfortunately, those organizations have gotten absurdly greedy.