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Performing Rights Society Limited.
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Premier_2
Posts: 15,141 Forumite
We received a letter yesterday at work dated 23 November 2009 from this company.
The letter begins "Team under a heavy workload?..."
Well it is when it they to open and read letters like that! :mad:
It then goes on to imply that we should hold a Music Licence that costs as little as £44 plus VAT per year. :rolleyes: (The actual price will only be advised once you apply)
In then goes on asking us to expend more time & energy calling them or writing to them to discuss if we actually need a licence.
(We don't. No music, radio, tv, etc is played.)
The letter warns us that only by contacting them will we avoid being contacted by them in the future.
Today, less than 24 hours after receiving the letter, they phone us asking 101 questions but never actually getting to the point.
As they then told us the telephone call was being recorded for training purposes (note, not for any other purpose so I hope they don't try), after the numerous questions they asked, all of which I avoided other than giving the name of the company (which we do when answering calls anyway) I told them to foxtrot oscar! I sincerely hope their training department study that phone call and make appropriate changes.
Don't get me wrong, I fully endorse artists being renumerated for their work but the harassing nature of this company is simply not on imo.
:mad:
Edit: btw, only 90% of the money collected actually goes to the "music creators, composers and publishers" they represent. They don't represent all.
Edit 2: 90% is the fugure stated in the letter. Their own documentation shows that in 2007, only 68.8% was actually given to "music creators, composers and publishers" they represent (which is about 60,000)
Of their members, 58.8% received less than £250 from them that year.
Edit 3: Found the full tariff.
http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PPS%20Tariffs/I-2009-03%20Tariff.pdf
Apparently the £44 per year plus vat is based on only 30mins per working day.
(higher prices apply for a canteen too!)
Here's another example:
The letter begins "Team under a heavy workload?..."
Well it is when it they to open and read letters like that! :mad:
It then goes on to imply that we should hold a Music Licence that costs as little as £44 plus VAT per year. :rolleyes: (The actual price will only be advised once you apply)
In then goes on asking us to expend more time & energy calling them or writing to them to discuss if we actually need a licence.
(We don't. No music, radio, tv, etc is played.)
The letter warns us that only by contacting them will we avoid being contacted by them in the future.
Today, less than 24 hours after receiving the letter, they phone us asking 101 questions but never actually getting to the point.
As they then told us the telephone call was being recorded for training purposes (note, not for any other purpose so I hope they don't try), after the numerous questions they asked, all of which I avoided other than giving the name of the company (which we do when answering calls anyway) I told them to foxtrot oscar! I sincerely hope their training department study that phone call and make appropriate changes.
Don't get me wrong, I fully endorse artists being renumerated for their work but the harassing nature of this company is simply not on imo.
:mad:
Edit: btw, only 90% of the money collected actually goes to the "music creators, composers and publishers" they represent. They don't represent all.
Edit 2: 90% is the fugure stated in the letter. Their own documentation shows that in 2007, only 68.8% was actually given to "music creators, composers and publishers" they represent (which is about 60,000)
Of their members, 58.8% received less than £250 from them that year.
Edit 3: Found the full tariff.
http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PPS%20Tariffs/I-2009-03%20Tariff.pdf
Apparently the £44 per year plus vat is based on only 30mins per working day.
(higher prices apply for a canteen too!)
Here's another example:
Shift 1 - music for 250 days, for 4 hours each day, for 115 employees:
250 days x 8 half hours x 5 units of employees x £0.0785 = £785.00 "Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 2010
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Comments
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Whilst it may seem unfair, they are only collecting licence fees which businesses are legally obliged to pay. The fact that in the past the PRS have not really enforced these licences is not the point, they are doing so now and are well within their rights to do so.
If you think businesses shouldn't have to pay this, you need to complain to your MP and campaign for a change in legislation.0 -
It does have to be paid. It just one of those things. Very few ways around it. It is cheaper to have something playing without speakers (cant be heard as far)
TVs are also expensive, different taffifs for CD players and just radios as well.
Does the public listen or just staff?0 -
Tell them you only play CDs that are copyright free.0
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Ask them for a written contract that you need to get signed by the boss. They won't send you one [we do it all over the phone, blah, blah]
Explain that you can't possibly agree to pay anything without sight of a contract - deadlock, they go away.0 -
Search for PRS on here for a big-ish thread on it all.0
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Search for PRS on here for a big-ish thread on it all.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=583965
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If you do happen to play music at your workplace send them an invoice for advertising fees, after all you are helping advertise the artists they 'represent'.
"One thing that is different, and has changed here, is the self-absorption, not just greed. Everybody is in a hurry now and there is a 'the rules don't apply to me' sort of thing." - Bill Bryson0 -
I think you missed the bit where I said I fully I fully endorse artists being renumerated for their work.Whilst it may seem unfair, they are only collecting licence fees which businesses are legally obliged to pay. The fact that in the past the PRS have not really enforced these licences is not the point, they are doing so now and are well within their rights to do so.
If you think businesses shouldn't have to pay this, you need to complain to your MP and campaign for a change in legislation.
But our business does not need a licence since there is no radio, music, tv etc."Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
No one. There is no music, radio, tv etc being made available to anyone, employees or public.It does have to be paid. It just one of those things. Very few ways around it. It is cheaper to have something playing without speakers (cant be heard as far)
TVs are also expensive, different taffifs for CD players and just radios as well.
Does the public listen or just staff?"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100 -
"Now to trolling as a concept. .... Personally, I've always found it a little sad that people choose to spend such a large proportion of their lives in this way but they do, and we have to deal with it." - MSE Forum Manager 6th July 20100
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