UK Police Accused Of Violating Copyright By Listening To Music In Police Stations

from the keep-quiet dept

Thu, Jun 12th 2008 2:14pm — Mike Masnick

While we've seen performing rights groups like ASCAP be overly aggressive in trying to collect money from anyone holding a "performance" of music, it seems that the UK's "Performing Right Society" (PRS) is pushing the boundaries even more. This is the same group that we noted last year had sued a bunch of auto mechanics for listening to radios in their garages loud enough that customers in the waiting room could hear them. Yes, the PRS insisted that this required a performance license.

It appears that PRS representatives just go around the UK these days trying to see if they can hear music anywhere. One den of piracy that they discovered? Police stations! Yes, they're now accusing 34 police stations with failing to pay for a license because officers were listening to music loud enough that others could hear it. These would be the same police that are out arresting people recently for "Conspiracy To Defraud The Music Industry." Perhaps they should be checking themselves out as well.

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Filed Under: copyright, performance rights, police stations, uk
Companies: prs

21 Comments

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Eric the Grey, 12 Jun 2008 @ 2:22pm

Perhaps
Perhaps this will be the straw that breaks the camels back? Maybe someone will realize at this point that it's too ridiculous to continue allowing these people to operate?

Naw, I doubt it.

EtG
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sonofdot, 12 Jun 2008 @ 2:29pm

Re: Perhaps
So where does this stop? Can I listen to the radio at home through my speakers, or do I have to wear headphones so my wife and children and pets can't hear it, unless I pay a performance license? What absolute bullshit.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 2:31pm

Next step up - Politicians.
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inc, 12 Jun 2008 @ 3:17pm

yea what a fucking crock of shit. Next you'll have to pay for remembering the lyrics.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 3:22pm

And of course, it's only a matter of time before they figure out how to read minds and start charging people for even thinking of songs. Imagine the bill you'll get from that song you have stuck in your head...
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Tin Ear, 12 Jun 2008 @ 3:25pm

So.....
What are we to do about the ultra bass boomer cars that are driving down the street? Take down the license number and send a complaint to the PRS? You can hear those darn boomers from a block away! Such a blatant violation has got to be punishable by something!

Note: Incredible sarcasm is intended.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 3:49pm

Re: So.....
screw sarcasim, fine those annoying fuckers through the teeth

I'd litteraly probably shit myself if the same people who went about blaring their bass didn't drop a brick themselves if you were blaring some good old fashion bluegrass parked outside their hosue.

But hey, hopefully in 4 years we wont have to worry about anything; we can only pray we're so forutnate.
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cvpunk, 12 Jun 2008 @ 4:15pm

Re: So.....
not sure about everywhere but in California there is a law that if your car stereo can be heard from more than a few feet away from your car you can get a ticket. my cousin actually got 7 when he lived in Fremont CA.
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Doctor of Implants, 12 Jun 2008 @ 4:19pm

I wonder how much longer tell they start requiring my Digital Implants for audio communication ?
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cvpunk, 12 Jun 2008 @ 4:34pm

Re: Re: So.....
from doing some reading it looks like it is a US law and the distance is 50 feet or more.
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Lucretious, 12 Jun 2008 @ 5:05pm

from doing some reading it looks like it is a US law and the distance is 50 feet or more.

keeping in mind that that particular law is in regards to noise statutes and not copyright bug-fuckery.....
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teknosapien, 12 Jun 2008 @ 6:08pm

Talk
About biting the hand that *helps feed you*
how many more Raids/whatever do you think the authorities will be helping out on. This maybe just the thing that makes the courts look at the total picture of whats happening.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 6:22pm

So what will they do to them? Sue them. If I was a police officer, I wouldn't pay. If the whole station's guilty, who in your jurisdiction would arrest you?
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 6:56pm

^^^^Good Point 13^^^^

Although the lawyers are the ones that will keep this moving in the wrong direction...they get paid more if there are more lawsuits.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jun 2008 @ 8:03pm

Re:
We are only supposed to buy music, but not listen to it.
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Griper, 12 Jun 2008 @ 10:17pm

Music Ringtones?
How will they address the ringtones going off in a public place? And what about folks that have music on their answering machines and while waiting on hold?
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CMG, 13 Jun 2008 @ 2:43am

Wow! It's like they've said

"Arrest people for listening to music, and while you're at it, stick yourself under arrest!"

Douchebags.
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Brandon, 13 Jun 2008 @ 6:50am

Music at work
When I worked a movie theater, we used to play movie soundtrack CDs through the building that was heard in the theaters between movies and in the lobby. Eventually, they stopped that for what I thought was an outrageous fear of being sued for not having the license to play that music. Instead they switched to cheezy instrumental public domain CDs. I guess it wasn't such an outrageous fear after all!
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Nitro, 13 Jun 2008 @ 7:06am

STUPID
I am so embarrassed to live with a generation that has so many idiots. I guess maybe there have always been that many and we just never heard about them because there wasn't anybody stupid enough to take them seriously. It seems major stupidity is spreading further everyday.
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John Wilson, 13 Jun 2008 @ 10:21am

SOCAN did this about a decade ago
SOCAN, the Canadian equivalent of ASCAP. went on a rampage in the 90s threatening barber shops, hair stylists, small resturants and so on because they even dared to have the radio on!

Pay up or else!

Even voice mail systems got nailed. (Even though we all know how well telephone lines transmit music, apparently SOCAN figured people would call into the system to listen to opera or something.)

Today we get silence, Muzak or CBC radio.

That surely made for a lot of paid up licenses didn't it?

ttfn

John
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R.H., 13 Jun 2008 @ 1:35pm

Re: Re: Re: So.....
It's not exactly a 'U.S.' or federal law. However many states or localities have these noise ordinances. For example my city doesn't have such an ordinance however, almost all of the suburbs around us do. It's a hit and miss type of thing.
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