Lancashire Police accused of piracy

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 17th June 2008
Comments (17) Stumble
Lancashire Police have been warned to silence their music-enjoying antics or pay for licences from the PRS.

Lancashire Police have been warned to silence their music-enjoying antics or pay for licences from the PRS.

Police in Lancashire have found themselves the target of a music sharing lawsuit – for having the radio playing too loud in their stations.

According to This Is Lancashire (via pro-file-sharing site TorrentFreak) Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has called down the wrath of the Performing Rights Society for having the temerity to allow his officers to listen to the radio while at work without being in possession of a valid PRS licence.

The Performing Rights Society is perhaps best known for licensing pubs and clubs, given them the right to play music for the public to listen to while getting 'merry' on overpriced alcohol. What isn't quite so well known – but something the PRS is keen to point out to infringers – is that listening to music anywhere outside the home requires a licence if more than one person is capable of hearing it. Yes, even if you're just walking down the street whistling: that's a 'performance', apparently.

The PRS has duly served writ in the High Court seeking an injunction that would silence the radios at the force's thirty-four stations unless a licence is procured for each, alongside a request for monetary damages due to the infringement of represented artists' copyright.

While it may seem both petty and a trifle short-sighted – the police are often your best ally when raiding those naughty file sharers, after all – the Lancashire Constabulary can't claim ignorance in this matter: having already applied for a licence for their headquarters in 1984 and again for their mounted branch in 2006 it's clear that at least some officers were aware of the legal requirements when playing music at work.

While I'm all for ensuring that artists are properly compensated for their work, I can't help but feel the PRS might be biting off more than they can chew antagonising the police – even if they are, technically, in the right.

Do you believe that the Lancashire police are simply trying to dodge their legal obligations, or is it ridiculous that you need a public performance licence in order to listen to the radio where others might hear you? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote Arkanrais 17th June 2008, 08:28
as to the first line, ironic that I just got an abatement notice from city council noise control not 5 minutes ago. gotta keep my stereos (that sit right next to each other) down for 3 days
sounds like you brits can't even have a car stereo without a license. and nuts to that crap
Quote sotu1 17th June 2008, 08:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arkanrais
ironic that I just got an abatement notice from city council noise control not 5 minutes ago. gotta keep my stereos (that sit right next to each other) down for 3 days

don't let the PRS hear you, they'll sue you know. tsk tsk.

sorry but this is pushing things a bit too far.
Quote Kúsař 17th June 2008, 08:40
It's music "industry", how could there be any "artists"? Perhaps workers, but not artists...
Quote p3n 17th June 2008, 08:50
Heard another of these this morning, a mechanic who works alone had to buy a licence so he could listen to his radio - UK > drain
Quote Xtrafresh 17th June 2008, 09:04
is this performance art? comedy perhaps?
Quote AlexB 17th June 2008, 09:10
Lots of people get these. Hardly news worthy. as much as I'd find it pretty funny that the police were file-sharing, this isnt it.
Quote Jordan Wise 17th June 2008, 09:15
you wouldn't get this kind of shenanigan happening in Yorkshire
Quote quack 17th June 2008, 11:24
Quote:
is it ridiculous that you need a public performance licence in order to listen to the radio where others might hear you?
Yes, considering the radio station has already dealt with the necessary licences and so on to be able to play the music in the first place!
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 17th June 2008, 12:18
This is absolutely absurd. They really think they can stop people playing music/the radio in public without a licence? Do they realise how many people buy portable speakers for MP3 players and take them to the park or where ever to listen whilst chilling out on the grass or something?

How many chavs sit on busses with mobile phones blaring out their new monkey crap every day?

Why do they waste their time?
Quote DXR_13KE 17th June 2008, 12:20
what the hell? i do think now they have bitten more then they can chew....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timmy_the_tortoise
Why do they waste their time?

.... and your money!
Quote Timmy_the_tortoise 17th June 2008, 12:45
Quote:
Originally Posted by DXR_13KE
.... and your money!

Precisely.

The law should not forgo rationality to benefit musical "artists". It just doesn't make any sense, no one is makign money from the public playing of the music... So why do we have to pay for the right to play it?

I can just about understand paying for CDs and online distributions (server costs, production costs.. record company revenues etc.), but this is nothing.. this is just playing music in public, harmless.. They're really just trying to get money where ever they can.

I love music, but I hate the music industry.
Quote proxess 17th June 2008, 13:48
the recording industry is coming to a sad realization...
Quote Smegwarrior 17th June 2008, 13:48
Quote:
Originally Posted by quack
Yes, considering the radio station has already dealt with the necessary licences and so on to be able to play the music in the first place!
Absolutely, radio stations have paid the license so they can transmit it to anyone to listen to thereby making any music freely available to the public for the duration of the time they are transmitting it.

I have heard about the TV licenses you need in the UK, the next thing will be a radio license and then a personal music player license or a speaker license, where will the madness and greed end.

When you buy music you have purchased a license to play it in any way you choose, if a neighbour or somebody passing by can hear you playing music is that a 'public performance'?

This is going beyond ridiculous, it is not like the 'artists' or 'music industry workers' are starving now is it?

Heaven forbid they might not be able to afford another Ferrari, more of the latest overpriced fashionable clothes, another mansion (or ivory tower), another Island in the Bahamas or all the drugs you see reports of them being busted with..... the poor penniless things how will they ever cope?

*Smegwarrior starts wondering why he bothered to buy all the CD's he owns. :|
Quote Andy Mc 17th June 2008, 14:34
I LOL'd
Quote naokaji 17th June 2008, 15:33
that law is completly stupid... need a license to listen to the radio somewhere someone might hear it:(
ususally I cant agree with cops braking the law, but in this case I not only forgive them but them and hope they will fight this crap until the end.
Quote Furymouse 17th June 2008, 16:11
Funny, we're listening to the radio right now at work. Not to worried about getting busted for not having a license. I dont think we even have any law like that over here.
Quote rhuitron 19th June 2008, 07:48
"What isn't quite so well known – but something the PRS is keen to point out to infringers – is that listening to music anywhere outside the home requires a license if more than one person is capable of hearing it. Yes, even if you're just walking down the street whistling: that's a 'performance', apparently."

^ Super Freaking LAME!!
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