Via BoingBoing and Slashdot, a story on BBC News about a new licensing scheme for DJs who play copies of their CDs or records from a laptop or MP3 player. Royalty collection agency PPL claims that DJs who play digital copies without paying for a £200 annual license are breaking the law.
There is a similar scheme in place in Canada. AVLA administers licenses for duplication of audio recordings as well as the exhibition and duplication of music videos. If you’re a DJ in Canada and you’re playing music from a hard drive, you’re expected to purchase a Computer Hard Drive License, which will set you back $250 (plus an administrative fee of $25 and GST or HST). Keep in mind this is in addition to the public performance tariff payable to SOCAN. This license is similar to, but separate from, the license which permits you to copy music onto analog tape, audio CD-R or minidisc.
That’s not all. There are certain artists whose works may not be copied, even with this license. The list, which can be found here, includes such artists as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Shania Twain, Nine Inch Nails and Metallica.
To recap: If you want to play music directly from a CD, you don’t need a license. If you copy the music onto your laptop and play it from there, you need a license, even if you own the CD you have copied it from.
No, I don’t get it either.
Comments
One response to “Laptop DJ? You must pay!”
Fshizle this sucks the bizzle. But I ain’t stopin, keep hip hoppin, the beats keep drop’in, harddrives poppin. YO! Ain’t nobody takin my music away fo sho.