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Belgian Rightsholders Group Wants To Charge Libraries For Reading Books To Kids

Posted by Soulskill on from the also-wants-royalties-on-all-waffles dept.

New submitter BSAtHome writes "People with a healthy interest in fundamental freedoms and basic human rights have probably heard about SABAM, the Belgian collecting society for music royalties, which has become one of the global poster children for how outrageously out-of-touch-with-reality certain rightsholders groups appear to be. This morning, word got out in Belgian media that SABAM is spending time and resources to contact local libraries across the nation, warning them that they will start charging fees because the libraries engage volunteers to read books to kids. Volunteers. Who – again – read books to kids."

14 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Crazy! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's next, having to pay money to sing in the shower?

    1. Re:Crazy! by nurb432 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, if anyone can hear you sing.

      --
      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    2. Re:Crazy! by davester666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not if anyone CAN hear you sing.

      It's if anyone CAN POSSIBLY hear you sing.

      For example, if there is room in your bathroom for somebody else to stand, you would need to pay because you could possibly have a roommate standing there listening. And it's too much trouble to track whether or not somebody is there listening, it's just much easier copyright math to charge you assuming you are putting on a public performance.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    3. Re:Crazy! by thomst · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, it's crazy all right.

      These Belgian swine aren't legally permitted to charge children to BORROW these same books from the library and read them THEMSELVES, but they somehow have decided that they have the right to charge THE LIBRARY, if an adult reads them ALOUD to the same children?

      Apparently it takes a Belgian lintellectual property awyer to dumb down a village ...

      --
      Check out my novel.
  2. Evil and stupid, good work guys... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Psst. I heard this rumor that volunteers nurturing an enthusiasm for books in youngsters is what we call "free advertising" and "preserving the future of your market".

    I'd bet you a considerable sum of money that whatever you'll manage to wring out of volunteer reading groups at public libraries won't amount to 2/5ths fuck-all compared to the amount you'll lose because the larval Belgians are going to be growing up with fewer books and more of whatever other entertainment is available.

    There are times when being evil pays good money. This. Isn't. One. Of. Them. Dumbass.

    1. Re:Evil and stupid, good work guys... by Imrik · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But it will improve next quarter's profits, and that's all that matters.

    2. Re:Evil and stupid, good work guys... by erroneus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is *NOT* about the interests of the publishers. This is ALL about the interests of the lawyers who seek to benefit by suiing everyone they possibly can. That they are harming their "clients" business in the long term does not bother them in the slightest.

      The **AA and all of them are a bunch of lawyers with their own interests at heart. Sure, their clients 'allow' it to happen, but most of the time, they act quite autonomously and independently of their clients as can be shown by the numerous times these groups have sued over materials they don't hold the rights to.

  3. Say What? by Just+Another+Perl+Ha · · Score: 5, Insightful


    I'm sorry... but these greedy fucking cunts need to be taken out back and horse-whipped!!!

    1. Re:Say What? by s-whs · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm sorry... but these greedy fucking cunts need to be taken out back and horse-whipped!!!

      This shows the moderation system on slashdot just doesn't work in some cases. This is not flamebait, this is a realistic depiction of what justice is supposed to be in cases like this!

      Language might be a little unappropriate, but that's nothing when compared to the action of these sabam a-holes!

  4. Are they doing this on purpose? by CAPSLOCK2000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't figure out if these people are stupid, incompetent or both. Is there any way in which they can make themselves seem any less sympathetic?

    1. Re:Are they doing this on purpose? by Wildclaw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There is a simpler answer. They are psychopaths the whole bunch of them and simply don't understand such concepts.

  5. The Problem by no-body · · Score: 4, Insightful

    with all those sensational messages is that the individuals making the decisions are unknown. It's an organization of some kind with some capital letters as abbreviated name.

    Who are those persons?
    Spokesperson - Jerome Van Win - http://www.facebook.com/jvanwin ??

    SABAM headquarters is located at 75-77 rue d'Arlon in Brussels

    Christophe DEPRETER has been the Managing Director of SABAM since 1 July 2009.
    http://www.sabam.be/en/sabam/management
    http://www.raaskalderij.be/2012/03/sabam-noemt-uitbreiding-activiteit-logische-stap/

    Carine Libert, Department of Legal Affairs and International Affairs http://www.facebook.com/people/Carine-Libert/100002967307348

    Luc Van Oycke, Director of Administration and Finance http://kopimiuk.wordpress.com/tag/luc-van-oycke/

    Willy Heyns, Director of ICT http://www.facebook.com/people/Willy-Heyns/100000541173703

    Jac Cuypers, COO http://www.facebook.com/jac.cuypers

    Serge Vloeberghs, Director of Sales http://www.facebook.com/people/Serge-Vloeberghs/1171478165

    Sandrine Evenepoel, Director of Human Resources http://www.facebook.com/sandrine.evenepoel

    E-mail : contact@sabam.be - yaaawn!

    Shame them!

  6. I'm glad our library system is established. by Beelzebud · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know damn well if we were trying to set up a public library system in America today, it would never be allowed. Corporate power doesn't give a shit about the culture of a nation, only the bottom line.

  7. Re:They are horrible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is any of the above true? Can a non-AC Belgian confirm? This is mind-boggling. These assholes sound worse than the BSA - and I didn't think that was possible.

    Hold on a mo, I'll just create an account and be transformed before your eyes from unscrupulous AC to pillar of the Slashdot community.