Performing Rights Society - SOHO?

[Sysman]

Have you thought about having a look at their website?

If music is made available to employees or visitors to the premises by any other means, PRS for Music would apply the relevant tariff.

We got caught by that one circa 2001. We'd found a spare server, put Winamp on it and loaded up our own CDs for our team to share. There was a court case (in the US IIRC) involving a fine of a million or two for some company, so we got closed down.

[cybersquatter]

I am surprised that such a cynical bunch as CUK aren't querying the PRS's legal right to levy these fees. What law entitles them to do this? Who defines a public space? How are their charges set? Jolly gracious of them to decide not to charge me for playing the radio when I'm working from home, but my home is a private space whether there are colleagues there or not, so I don't see what right they would have to charge me at home full-stop.

The whole thing sounds unenforceable to me.

[centurian]

I am surprised that such a cynical bunch as CUK aren't querying the PRS's legal right to levy these fees. What law entitles them to do this?

The whole thing sounds unenforceable to me.

Oh, it is enforceable. A restaurant owner friend of mine got a 12K fine for not paying PRS.

However I never understood why the law allows the industry to operate in such a way. In virtually all other industries, you pay for a product and then use it as you see fit.

If I buy a toaster, I don't have to pay a royalty every time a slice pops up - and if a resturant buys the same toaster, they don't have to pay either.

This is true of 99% of products and even most services (I pay my builder if/when my gutters/roof need fixing - not pay him every time it rains because he fixed them years ago).

[George Parr]

Where my partner works, there is one other person in the same office as her. If they play the radio, they need a PRS licence. However, if each of them plays the same station on 2 different radios, so that each of them is only playing the radio for themselves, then they don't.

I think that is stupid. To me, 2 people playing the radio at work is the same as 2 people playing the radio at home. So far nobody has suggested that she and I need a PRS licence to listen together in the kitchen.

I agree. It seems a step too far to me. Don't forget that the radio stations pay fees to broadcast the songs. I believe most artists will want their music played to as wider audience as possible, especially up and coming artists while Madonna, McCartney et al won't lose any sleep over it I'm sure.

[malvolio]

It's to protect copyright and ensure the originator gets a fair fee for their work. Basically PRS charge a standardised fee that eventually gets paid back to the owner of the copyright, proportional to some esoteric formula. It is entirely legal and perfectly justifiable: would you be happy to work for free?

[BolshieBastard]

A lot of businesses are having to pay PRS charges to allow them to play the radio at work. Its daft, but that is apparently the law.

Does anyone know the legal position for working at home and playing the radio / music / dvds while working?

******* hell. I've read some tulip threads in my time here but this, this takes the prize!

Makes me seriously wonder how some people ever mange to take \ make a business decision at all. Utterly incredible.

[George Parr]

It's to protect copyright and ensure the originator gets a fair fee for their work. Basically PRS charge a standardised fee that eventually gets paid back to the owner of the copyright, proportional to some esoteric formula. It is entirely legal and perfectly justifiable: would you be happy to work for free?

No, neither do I expect a recording artist to. My point is that the radio station pays a fee to broadcast (AFAIK the BBC pays per track) so why the need to pay additional PRS to listen? And how do they know if I'm listening to Little Boots, Little Richard or Stiff Little Fingers?

[RichardCranium]

My point is that the radio station pays a fee to broadcast (AFAIK the BBC pays per track) so why the need to pay additional PRS to listen?

broadcast

You pay the PRS to further broadcast the radio transmission to the staff / customers on your premises.

[RichardCranium]

how do they know if I'm listening to Little Boots, Little Richard or Stiff Little Fingers?

Wikipedia says "complete records of music performances are collected from its largest licence payers and statistical estimates are made for other license payers."

[centurian]

You pay the PRS to further broadcast the radio transmission to the staff / customers on your premises.

Radio broadcasts are being used as one example, but if you played CD's that you had paid for, you still need to pay PRS to have them on in the office.

So the point still stands. The recording ariste has already been paid for their work in the form of the CD you've bought and paid for.