Shop Radio License? scammers?

mardenthing

Just a mention. PPL have NEVER lost in court. Not once.
They are also not for profit. So there's no point slandering them. They gain no money. And the copyright tribunal govern the prices etc. so how about we get our facts straight before slagging about. This is why the country is going to !!!!, because people shouting their mouths without knowing a damn thing. Pay up or stop playing. Simples.

AndyBSG

mardenthing wrote: »

Just a mention. PPL have NEVER lost in court. Not once.

So they didn't recently lose an appeal in court that the increase charges they implemented in 2005 were excessive.

Odd that seeing as it was very widely reported but if you say they've never lost in court who are we to argue...

RepublicOfKent

I could well be mistaken here but, from what I can see, the Copyright, Design and Patents Act (1988) is the law under which you'd be prosecuted by the PRS / PPL if you play a radio "in public" (e.g. in the office where staff or the public can hear it)? There is an exception in Section 71 (1B) which talks about copyright not being infringed if the radio is being demonstrated because it's for sale or hire:

Add www at the beginning of:

legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/72#commentary-c19324051

Also, page 2 of the following (again, add www at the beginning):

gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/537453/section-72-broadcasts.pdf

Does this sound right - that if you have a radio for sale or hire, you can legitimately play that radio in a shop, in full hearing of staff and members of public, and not need a licence from either the PPL or PRS?

If so, that's quite good! Of course, the law is hreally complicated and it's not easy for the layperson to both not break it and not get shafted by those that know it.

paddyrg

Simply put, there won't be a loophole for having radio playing all day and an old FM box in the corner priced at a million quid. It'll be an exemption for demonstrating that the unit functions at the time a customer is looking to buy. But that's unimportant, try it, wait to get sued, go to court, let a judge decide is the only way to get a certain answer (and considering the bad faith million pound radio scheme would undermine the whole system, I can pretty much imagine what the end result would be)

RepublicOfKent

That's definitely true if you don't intend to sell the radio. However, actually having radios for sale for a reasonable price in your shop and playing music on said radios shouldn't constitute bad faith.

As you say, though, if you do this, it's still squeaky bum time until either someone's prepared to go through a test case or you become that someone. It's one of the problems with the law, really - no-one can tell you for sure that you're doing the right thing and so, just to be on the safe side, you kowtow to the strong-arm tactics of those that tell you they know the law better.

Might be worth the hassle of a case (if you genuinely are selling radios / TVs) - I'm sure Currys, John Lewis, etc, would be worried if S72(1B) were to be repealed!