I heard a similiar story in Vancouver. A guy owned a resteraunt and listened to a radio in the kitchen. Apparently it could be heard in the main dining area. A guy came in working for a collective agency and heard the music , he then proceeded to bill the guy for years of music because his resteraunt had been open for several years. The guys wanted something like 5,000$ in unpaid liscenses.
Until then I didn't even know that you weren't allowed to play music in a store or resteraunt without paying liscenses. If I open a store I'll just get one of my musically gifted friends to create some techno and some music to play. I'm not going to pay some collective fee for listening to the radio or letting my customers hear the radio.
I think its bull, the radio station already pays royaltees and liscensing fees. The public has access to that radio station for free on their car radio's or other radio devices. So why should a store pay for liscensing and royalties when the royalties and liscensing has already been paid by the radio station?
Also why is it free for people to listen to their radio's but not free for them to listen to radio's in buisnesses? I think its just one big cash grab, taking advantage of people!
Also why doesn't this pertain to sports bars or any bars, where they have the TV on? If you require a liscense for playing music in your buisness shouldn't you require one for video? I don't know if they do but many resteraunts and bars I go to have the tv's on. Also I go to the gym and can watch TV in their while I run.
Infact at the swimming pool they have Much Music on, so shouldn't they be paying music liscensing fees and then paying Much for playing the music , then pay their cable company to pay for the cable?
If you bill for everything where do you stop?
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
