Thursday 22 October 2009

God and Mammon are in the Detail

How refreshing to see the UK's PRS humbly admitting its mistake after it had demanded a licence fee from a singing shop assistant! Heaven forfend that the produce should be noisome. See Bath's Natural Theatre's Singing Underpants here.

How infuriating to see PPL's efforts to secure via the Copyright Tribunal an appropriate licence fees from bars, cafes, shops and office frustrated by the Tribunal's "one-size- fits-all" fee ruling.

PPL's statement reveals that "PPL had proposed a tariff, based on the principle of fairness, where larger establishments paid more than smaller ones. The Tribunal rejected this and took the view that small pubs and cornershops should pay the same as large bars and shops. This is currently £100 per annum. The result of the Tribunal's decision, therefore, is that bars with a thousand drinkers will pay exactly the same as a pub with a handful of regulars."

Fran Nevrkla, Chairman and CEO announced that PPL will, quite rightly, be appealing the decision. PPL's gorgeous, pouting Director of Government Relations, Dominic McGonigal, blogs briefly on the subject - shame his employer can't spell his name.

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