My colleagues and I felt the same. That the PRS is testing the water so to say. We felt that it must the responsibility of the owners of a website to obtain clearance for any music elements included - just as they would for copyright text or images.
The PRS already have an application for a licence for background music to a web page available on their site at
www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/playingbroadcastingonline/online/BM/Pages/backgroundmusic.aspx
Otherwise, how would the PRS propose to collect the supposed royalties from individuals who access such sites from home or work, which probably vastly exceed usage via the PN?
And if the PRS is serious about pursuing this matter they should approach the MLA instead of approaching individual libraries. The same principle should work as with our agreement with the CLA and NLA
We live in the world of intellectual property going silly at the moment. What next I wonder...
Leorita Stubbs
Information Team Librarian
Cambridgeshire Libraries
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Keith
Patterson/CEXEC/STHMBC
Sent: 05 September 2008 16:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PRS music licence to cover Peoples Network?
Marion Stevens from Swindon raised the same subject in August, and I don't
think anyone else replied at that time to say they had. My immediate sense
is that PRS are flying a kite. We've certainly not received such a demand
yet. If a few library services are starting to get demands, this needs to
be discussed/negotiated at a national level, by CILIP or MLA. We don't
want to be negotiating individually - and if there is a nice legal issue
involved, let's get one barrister to give an opinion, rather than lots of
us separately. This is a little reminiscent of the BPI licensing libraries
via national agreement with the Library Association (as we were then) to
loan music recordings back in the late 1980's- for those of us who've been
around for a while ... Any takers, CILIP, MLA?
Keith Patterson
Libraries Manager
Libraries Management Team
Chester Lane Library
Four Acre Lane
St Helens WA9 4DE
tel: (01744) 677487
fax: (01744) 677082
Chris Davies
<chris.davies@ENF
IELD.GOV.UK> To
Sent by: [log in to unmask]
"lis-pub-libs: UK cc
Public Libraries"
<LIS-PUB-LIBS@JIS Subject
CMAIL.AC.UK> PRS music licence to cover Peoples
Network?
05/09/2008 11:24
Please respond to
Chris Davies
<chris.davies@ENF
IELD.GOV.UK>
The Performing Rights Society have been in touch with Enfield Libraries,
and
have sent us a Copy Quotation for a "PRS Music Licence for General music
use - TV, capacity 1" for each of our libraries. This is prompted by their
belated discovery that we offer "Internet facilities" to the public.
Their e-mail to us states "Many websites contain an element of music, and
as
your facilities are accessible to the public, they will need covering by
the
licence." (They are also requesting retrospective payment covering 2007/8).
This is a new one on myself and my colleagues...! It also seems highly
speculative. Are the PRS flying a kite, or do other libraries currently
make
payments to them for any "element of music" allegedly broadcast via the PN?
I
can't spot any reference to libraries on their website (
http://www.mcps-prs-
alliance.co.uk/playingbroadcastingonline/online/Pages/online.aspx ).
Advice + info welcomed!
Chris Davies (Information + Digital Citizenship Officer, LB Enfield)
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