UK Copyright Weirdness
Its good to see that the U.S. isn’t the only place going insane with copyright shenanigans. Oh, wait- I suppose it’s actually BAD too see we’re not the only place. Come to think of it the list of places not effected is actually getting shorter. _sigh_
What the case basically says is that since this car repair shop is a business; and the mechanics listen to the radio while they work; and the customers might be able to hear the radio: then the shop needs to pay “performance royalties” for entertaining the customers with copyrighted works. What a crock!
From BoingBoing:
Car repair chain sued for playing radio
James Glover says:
Kwik-Fit, a British chain of car-repair garages, has been taken to court by the Performing Rights Society for “public performances” of music played on staff radios.
The PRS claimed that Kwik-Fit mechanics routinely use personal radios while working at service centres across the UK and that music, protected by copyright, could be heard by colleagues and customers.
It is not entirely clear is the term radio is used to refer to broadcast radio stations or to CDs/Tapes payed on audio equipment. Either way this seems a ridiculous abuse of public performance licenses.
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