Turn off that radio before entering the garage – or we get fined

While much attention is directed to the RIAA and its usual heavy handed tactics in going after music thieves there is also a different branch that are suppose to go around and get licensing fees from businesses that play music – live or even a radio for their customers to listen to while at that business. A couple years ago in Canada some such agency went after hairdressing salons that were playing music without paying for a license to do so.

Well in England the Performing Rights Society (PRS) has decided that it was time to start blackmailing getting fees from car garages that where playing music from the radio for their customers while they were waiting for work to be done. The only problem with some garages don’t play music but because their customers were bringing in their cars with the radio turned on the PRS said that the garage would have to turn them off or pay for a licensing fee

The Performing Rights Society (PRS) has warned that they would be breaching the law if they did not warn drivers to turn their music off.

Mechanic Len Attwood, 61, does not have a radio on his premises but has been forced to put up a sign asking customers to turn off their radios when they enter.

The businessman has accused the PRS, which issues the music licences, as “heavy handed”.

Mr Attwood, from Witham, Essex, said: “It’s total madness.

“The radio stations are paying to play the music and we have to pay to listen to it – they are taking with both hands.

“It’s stupid, I couldn’t believe the way they are going about it.”

Mr Attwood, who has run Motor Maintenance for 31 years, added: “The PRS phoned up and said, ‘do you have any form of music entertainment on the premises?’

“I said customers bring their vehicles in with their radios on and while we are working on them the radio is playing. But other than that no.

“The woman said she would get back to me. She came back with her supervisor who said I would have to turn the car radios off but I said we didn’t like to tamper with the customers’ settings.

“She said, ‘in that case, you will have to tell them to turn them off before they come in’.

Source: Telegraph UK

You know one has to wonder at what point does this insanity come to and end and we tell these tinplate Neapolitan wannabes to friggin piss off.