Ritchie Says Music Liscensing Laws Harming Tourism

She said,  “This debate will focus on the license regime operated by the Phonographic Performance Ltd which governs copyright for musical recordings and the PRS for Music license which covers the copyright for musical and lyrical compositions. Both of which are required by businesses to play music in public places or hold a live performance. “These regulations impact financially on many small enterprises throughout Northern Ireland which are already over-burdened by government regulation and red tape. As we seek to develop and grow the economy in Northern Ireland, such measures can place an undue strain on businesses that have narrow profit margins. “There is currently an exemption for organisations that employ less than four people. Although welcome, it’s some way short of a classification that would help small and medium sized enterprises – defined as organisations which have less than 50 employees. “In South Down, a large proportion of the economy revolves around the tourism and hospitality industries. The complexity and cost of requiring two separate licenses combined with an aggressive compliance regime can put undue pressure on the bars, hotels and restaurants which form the backbone of our tourism industry. If these establishments are forced to cease playing music – the business suffers, customers may leave. “There is a concern that playing music in the workplace can lead to double taxation, as the radio station will have paid a royalty fee for playing the music and the SME will effectively pay this again. Similarly, a hotel may be faced with a double cost for playing music in separate areas of the hotel. An overly draconian and inflexible approach here damages small businesses. “The existing licensing arrangements are somewhat cumbersome and cost prohibitive for many SMEs. While recognising that we must find a solution that protects our valuable music industry, of which small business also form an integral part, I would like to urge the government to take steps to create a simpler and more effective licensing regime. It is vital that licensing requirements and costs do not disproportionately impact upon small and medium sized businesses at a time when many are already faced with a challenging economic climate,”  aded Ms Ritchie.]]>