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Singer In Grocery Store Ordered To Pay Royalties

Posted by samzenpus on from the silence-is-golden dept.

yog writes "An assistant at a grocery store in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, was ordered by the Performing Right Society (PRS) to obtain a performer's license and to pay royalties because she was informally singing popular songs while stocking groceries. The PRS later backed down and apologized. This after the same store had turned off the radio after a warning from the PRS. We have entered an era where music is no longer an art for all to enjoy, but rather a form of private property that must be regulated and taxed like alcohol. 'Music to the ears' has become 'dollars in the bank'."

5 of 645 comments (clear)

  1. The company apologized by thomasinx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, she was ordered to pay royalties. However, shortly afterward, the company sent her flowers, and issued a formal apology (ie, they realized they went *way* too far).

    and I quote the article...
    "In a note attached to a large bouquet of flowers they said: "We're very sorry we made a big mistake. We hear you have a lovely singing voice and we wish you good luck." "

  2. Re:The radio makes senes, but not the singer by arkhan_jg · · Score: 5, Informative

    The thing is, the songwriters have already been paid - by the radio station. If it's BBC radio, we've already paid for that music out of our annual licence fee, or it's a commercial station with adverts. Every person in that store has the right to listen to that station already as the broadcast fees have already been paid.

    Now that it's suddenly being able to be listened to while on a store premises, it's a 'new' public performance and more money needs to be paid. It's double dipping for the same performance.

    You want to charge stores that play personal CDs through to customers? Fine. But leave my goddamn radio at my desk alone.

    --
    Remember kids, it's all fun and games until someone commits wholesale galactic genocide.
  3. Re:The radio makes senes, but not the singer by SilentMobius · · Score: 5, Informative

    ASCAP are trying to push just that sort or nonsense. Thankfully they got a bloody nose trying it, but it's indicative of the way they think:

    http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/10/court-rules-phones-ringing-public-dont-infringe-co

    --
    Loop, twist and loop again.
  4. Japan: been there, done that by oheso · · Score: 5, Informative

    A bar owner in Japan was ordered to pay royalties for playing the harmonica for his customers. As far as I know, the decision has stuck.

    http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2006/11/10/elderly-harmoni.html

  5. Re:I'm just waiting for... by mickwd · · Score: 5, Informative

    You got moderated funny.

    Read the appalling truth.