Performing Rights Society

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  • #43997
    Alex
    Participant

    This is a matter that concerns anyone who listens to music who runs a business and is not confined to a desert island. If you run an office or shop, employ staff and haven’t been approached be prepared.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7833982.stm

    Had a phone call on this the other week and checked the calendar to confirm it wasn’t April 1st.

    It seems I’m liable for this charge. The rationale is due to there being a radio on in one office which is away from the public, should you listen carefully among the general hub-bub and phones ringing you may hear Wogan in the background.

    So this lass from Belfast lectures me on needing to pay to listen to Janet & John stories and the odd record. Did I give her grief or what! I asked, “Why should I pay to listen when the revenue has been paid by the broadcaster, and am I to pay the BBC, Wogan, or the artist every time the song comes on”. I went on to ask, “If it is a Phil Collins song or a similar boring dirge, do I get a refund”? I know the poor girl was only doing her job, but this seems to be ridiculous.

    If I switched to Radio 4 would I have adopt the common agricultural policy to listen to the Archers?

    I am a genuine music fan. I must have nearly a 1,000 C.D.’s and a lot of old stuff on vinyl. Call me old fashioned but I actually buy the albums and always legitimately. If they want to clamp down on people, have a go at Bill Gates for making it very easy to copy stuff illegally downloaded. If I copy anything it is from my own personal collection to play on an MP3 player or in the car.

    What a time we live in!

    Alex

    #279348
    Jonah
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    Hi Alex,

    As my Dad said when he was the Landlord of a couple of pubs…
    PERFECT RIPOFF SOCIETY
    They are the music police of the UK !!! 😯
    Tell them to go forth and multiply, I would, can’t stand that sort of thing we have enough on our plates at the moment 👿

    #279349
    robbo1973
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    I get loads of phone calls re this and letters i just ignore them it is ridiculous I have a small radio in the shop for the staff which they say i have to pay them for they can whistle as far as i am concerned.

    #279350
    cornwell40
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    Got a letter from them the other week and a rather condescending phone call today. Stopped the guy as he started spiel about the workplace, offices, factories and asked do I need a PRS in a van………Er…..no. WELL ASK A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU RATTLE OFF YOUR LIST. I was then thanked for my time and called Sir twice.
    What p***es me off about the PRS is they have invented yet another enjoyment tax, ( wait till a government official pops up in bed between you and the missus) and as a musician playing in signed bands for years, we never got a penny from airplay and tv even though they were aired on nationals. Probably be totally different now that the PRS is so behind the collection of royalties it wants to fine me local pie shop :rolls: .

    Pick on someone your own size Godon.

    TC

    #279351
    iadom
    Moderator

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    What a coincidence, I hadn’t even seen this thread before I posted one of my own in ‘Off Topic’ on this very same issue.

    PRS

    Jim.

    #279352

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    I’ve had two letters in the last month both of which went straight in the recycling. They’re almost as bad as the b***** TV licensing lot. It’s a sort of spam, they send out millions and hope a few mugs will cough up.
    (You can watch all the best TV programmes for a month or so after they are broadcast using BBC’s own iPlayer and no license is needed.)
    Mike.

    #279353
    Martin
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    Sorry, you’re from where?…P.R.what?….hang on a minute, can’t hear you mate!….Oi, Can someone turn the radio down please I’m on the bl**dy phone!!!

    #279354
    bagman
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    leavemetogetonwithit wrote:
    (You can watch all the best TV programmes for a month or so after they are broadcast using BBC’s own iPlayer and no license is needed.)
    Mike.

    Not true, check it out. The law was changed recently to ‘any device that is capable of displaying a TV picture will need a TV licence.’ This includes PC’s, mobile phones, PDA’s etc. Although having a home TV license covers all of the above.

    #279355
    HAS
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    they do take this matter serious my dad has a hair dressers shop and they carried out spot checks on it after he ignored it 3 or 4 times then started legal action so he paid it befor it went any further

    #279356
    Alex
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    I guess they could be serious, but what happens next?

    I suppose they visit my office, look around and then set about procedures because myself in MY office where I happen to have a radio on. (The office is well away from the public areas being the sales & trade counter)

    For a start they cannot enter my premises without a warrant, so I can ask them whilst standing in the public area, “Radio, what Radio, can you hear one”? If they do insist on entry to the other end of my building and have the appropriate documentation, you can bet your life I will invite the media.

    Another stealth tax as far as I’m concerned.

    Alex

    #279357
    Martin
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    A question here that maybe Don could answer : –

    TV & Radio dealers…do they have to purchase a PR Licence?

    #279358
    don
    Moderator

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    Martin wrote:

    TV & Radio dealers…do they have to purchase a PR Licence?


    They do indeed need one, have we got one :innocent:

    #279359
    Martin
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    don wrote:They do indeed need one, have we got one :innocent:

    Oh, I was kinda hoping you’d say – not required. 🙁

    The reason I ask was that my mate in the village runs a tyre fitting business and his radio blares out all day long all over the tyre bays and forecourt. He got wind of these PRS police and was given dodgy info (so it transpires now that is) that if he put a FOR SALE sign on the radio it avoids this legislation? 😕 😕

    #279360
    expertcat
    Participant

    I had a letter turn up a month ago.

    My family call me a scrooge so in the letter it gives the option of ringing or emailing them.

    So I email then yesterday in the post got another snotty letter asking that i have not contatcted them.

    Im not paying for a phone call to say no i havnt got a radio in my office.

    #279361
    silverbroom
    Participant

    Re: Performing Rights Society

    Yep I have also had two letters both gone staight in the bin, as I work from home it should not affect me but they will have to visit to find that out.

    Would’nt it be nice that every time we completed a repair, got paid, then every time the customer used the appliance we got a small financial percentage to cover the work we had allready been paid for………… dream on.


    silverbroom

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