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Charity music licence exemption to go
The government has come out in support of proposals from the Intellectual Property Office on music licensing which would remove charity exemptions from paying fees to Phonographic Performance Limited, which represents the interests of music producers and performers.
A flat annual charge for playing music at events or in public places will come in after the exemption is repealed - Third Sector reports this as from April, http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/966708/.
UPDATE:
A press release from the Intellectual Property Office (http://www.ipo.gov.uk/press-release-20091112) says that there will be a new joint licensing scheme between Phonographic Performance Limited and PRS for Music to simplify the licence process overall. Also PPL will be "consulting Third Sector organisations with the Community Sector Law Monitoring Group to agree affordable tariffs". This is UK-wide.
Third Sector reports a PPL spokesman as saying that charity shops would be charged individually, not on an organisation-wide basis, which could mount up for some, http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/968885/. PPL press release on the joint PPL/PRS scheme, PRS Music existing details are at http://www.prsformusic.com/charityandcommunity.
