[Infowarrior] - Ozzie clubs get it right on music

[Richard Forno]

Australian Clubs Looking To Play Independent Music To Avoid Insane New  
Royalties
from the send-them-some-indie-music dept
We've been discussing how collections societies around the globe have  
been making a mad dash to get governments to tax more things or to  
simply massively expand existing collection taxes on music. One  
stunning example we gave was how the Phonographic Performance Company  
of Australia (PPCA) was pushing to increase fees by ridiculous amounts  
(in one example from $125/year to $19,344). Apparently, part of the  
setup is that clubs and restaurants have to pay a much higher per  
patron fee, and the number of patrons is based not on the actual  
number of patrons -- but on capacity. PPCA and others like them  
continue to insist that all of the value in a restaurant or club comes  
from the music, and thus those places should pay these extortionate  
rates, even if actual human beings don't come to fill up the place (so  
much for the music actually bringing in the crowds). But it looks like  
at least some clubs in Australia are pushing back. Sambo points us to  
the news that many are trying to build support for a protest effort  
where these clubs will only play independent music and avoid all music  
licensed to the PPCA. Of course, in the US, we've seen ASCAP and BMI  
tell clubs that do similar things that it doesn't matter -- since they  
might accidentally play their music. Still, it looks like these kinds  
of moves, that often would bankrupt these clubs and restaurants, are  
having an unintended consequence of helping to promote non-PPCA music.  
So, if you're a musician and you want to get heard in Australia, try  
licensing your songs under a Creative Commons license or something and  
highlight that anyone can play the music without having to pay a  
ridiculous PPCA tax.



http://techdirt.com/articles/20091013/0205396505.shtml