Listening To The Radio At Work? Prepare To Be Sued

MLCT writes "The Performing Rights Society, one of the UK's royalties collecting societies, has taken a Scottish car servicing company to court because the employees are alleged to have been listening to the radio at work, allowing the music to be 'heard by colleagues and customers'. The PRS is seeking £200,000 in damages for the 'performances of the music' which they claim equates to copyright infringement. The judge, Lord Emslie, has ruled that the case can continue to hearing evidence, commenting that the key point to note was that music was 'audibly blaring from employee's radios'. Where do the extents of a 'public performance' end? Radios on in cabs?"

Comments

seriously???

[WwWonka]

seriously?...um...seriously? SERIOUSLY? hold on, let me think about this one a little more...............seriously????

Re:seriously???

[LWATCDR]

It could only happen in America. The Us has a broken legal system. Thank goodness nothing that stupid could ever happen in the EU...
Oh never mind.

This isn't *all* bad...

[EvanED]

If they lose, sanity prevails.

But if they win, it provides precedent to sue anyone driving by with their car stereo too loud, so at least we get something out of the mess.

Thumpmobiles

[anagama]

When the hell is someone going to sue the idiots with the car stereos I can hear a mile away?!!!

Damn right -- get the hell off my lawn.

Re:sigh

[Anonymous Coward]

This is already illegal.

I buy at least 4 copies of each CD, with a separate player and headphones for each. When friends come over, we synchronize playback with the familiar 3-2-1 countdown. Are you saying you don't follow the procedure?

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[Duhavid]

What about second hand smoke?

I think the tobacco companies should sue
everyone for enjoying their products at
second ( or even third ) hand.

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[xjimhb]

What's next? Perhaps the newspaper will sue you if you hold a copy so somebody can read over your shoulder?

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[Foobar of Borg]

In other news, I'll sue you for copyright infringement for when you quote me on slashdot Or, if you repeat something said on the simpsons

In Soviet Russia, Yakov Smirnoff sues YOU!

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[Your Pal Dave]

Somebody should compensate me for having to listen to the idiotic station that the jerk in the next cubicle listens to!

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[ibentmywookie]

Somebody should compensate me for having to listen to the idiotic station that the jerk in the next cubicle listens to! I was told that I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven, I told Bill that if Sandra is going to listen to her headphones while she's filing then I should be able to listen to the radio while I'm collating so I don't see why I should have to turn down the radio because I enjoy listening at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven...

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[cashman73]

I'll ... I'll ... I'll ... set the building on fire! I'll ... I'll ... put strychnine in the guacamole!

Re:Somebody please, stop the madness

[SageMusings]

As long as there are un-purchased Bentleys out there, lawyers are forced to explore these legal issues. Seriously, their backs are against the wall on this.

Re:Are you from the US of A?

[Karthikkito]

What about "+1 Whoosh"?