PRS Demands License Fee To Play Music To Horses 305
An anonymous reader writes "A woman in Bushton, Wilts, has been told by the Performing Rights Society (PRS for Music) that she needs to pay an annual fee in order to play classical music from the radio to the horses in her stable, something that she has been doing for the past 20 years.
The PRS claims that it's not about the horses — rather, it's about her staff of over two people, which puts Mrs. Greenway in the same category as shops, bars and cafes.
'The staff are not bothered whether they have the radio on or not, in fact they don't particularly like my music and turn if off when I'm not around,' said Mrs. Greenway, 62. 'Especially on windy days I try to play it — it gives [the horses] a nice quiet atmosphere, you can only exercise one horse at a time so it helps the others to stay calm. We are right next to the RAF Lyneham air base so it dulls the noise from the aircraft as well.'"
The horses are upset by this (Score:5, Funny)
Easy solution! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Easy solution! - one big problem (Score:5, Funny)
They'll all be depressed when they think Paul is dead!
The real solution (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Easy solution! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The horses are upset by this (Score:4, Funny)
The one on the left has complained so much about this that it is a little horse.
They need to pay. (Score:5, Funny)
I, for one, think the horses should pony up and pay. Musicians need the cash.
Easy solution. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Easy solution! - one big problem (Score:3, Funny)
Not if you play them his last four albums.
Re:The real solution (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Easy solution! - one big problem (Score:3, Funny)
Not if you play them his last four albums.
Right - then they will be sure.
OK (Score:5, Funny)
Lets just all agree to pretend that Britain doesn't exist.
Re:Wilts isn't a country (Score:5, Funny)
Hello, I'm the original submitter. Sorry I didn't think of adding UK after Wilts. I thought people would figure out from the insanity of the story that these were the British we were talking about.
Re:Solution (Score:4, Funny)
It might not be that big, but compared to the falling CD market, it's stable
Re:The horses are upset by this (Score:2, Funny)
so, they'll have to help pony up the fees.
omfgponies! (Score:2, Funny)
so who ratted her out?
the PONYS?!??!?!
Re:Solution (Score:4, Funny)
How big could the stable music market possibly be?
You'd be surprised. It's the next biggest market after house music and garage music.
Re:lolwut (Score:3, Funny)
Playing a radio in these circumstances is a public performance under British law and she does need a license.
She could just tell them that her staff are all deaf, and thus cannot hear the music. However, she would happily pay the public performance license if they can supply a sign-language version of their music.
This assumes that the public performance license does not apply if the audience cannot hear it. But I'm not entirely sure this assumption is correct, alas.
Re:lolwut (Score:5, Funny)
A sign language version would be an obvious "format shifting" violation, and then she'd have to pay even more money to the man, or risk some nonsensical IP law being applicable.
Re:They need to pay. (Score:5, Funny)
Sorry, I didn't want to stirrup any trouble.
While I agree Musicians need a stable income, should animals be saddled with such debt? What should our mane priority be as a society? Answering that question, is our first hurdle.
Re:omfgponies! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:OK (Score:2, Funny)
Re:omfgponies! (Score:3, Funny)
An American harpist reported that her music helped calm sick digs at a Florida vet's clinic and one online retailer sells specially selected CDs for cats.
Excerpt from "Snatch" for reference:
- Is the big fella not coming with us?
- He's minding the car.
- What does he think we are, thieves?
- No, nothing like that.
- He just likes looking after cars.
- Good dags. Do you like dags?
- Dags? - What?
- Yeah, dags. - Dags. You like dags?
Oh, dogs. Sure, I like dags.
- I like caravans more.
- You're very welcome.
Pikeys are well-known for their skills of negotiation in business. It's probably why they talk like that... ... so you can't follow what's being said.