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Anyone heard of PPL? Standing up for music rights?


shelfpreschool
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hello,

 

I have just had a call which has put me on edge a bit as I am not sure if it is genuine. He called from PPL and sounded all official and authorised by the government. We have 'flagged' up as not having a licence to play music/videos and asked what we played. I said the usual, story cd's and nursery rhymes. No radio or mp3 players etc.... He said it is £96 a year and he is sending out the document for me to read. I just wondered if anyone had heard of this and if it was true. He gave me the web address to look at, which wasn't even right! I looked while he was chatting to me and pointed out that there was no such address, he got a bit flustered and went to chat to his supervisor and gave the correct web address which by the way is http://www.ppluk.com/I am not sure if it just a scam to get money out of us or whether it is genuine so if anyone else has had a call from them please do let me know. Thanks.

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Hmm. The site (and therefore the caller I reckon) is genuine, although check carefully what the documentation he sends is.

 

I think it really depends on the sort of music you play. I would guess that nursery rhymes and music designed specifically for young children (think of Sticky Kids for example) are made by session musicians who are paid a one-off fee, and therefore you wouldn't need to have a license to play this (that's kind of what they're designed for).

 

But if, for example, you've got Christmas songs playing, or commercial dance music for music and movement sessions, then yes you would. Because it counts as public even if it's only your staff getting to hear the music.

 

Not a massively definite yes or no then I'm afraid - you have to think about exactly what sort of music you play.

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Righto, thanks for that info. Seems genuine and utterly confusing. Will read with interest what they send.

 

Steve: I've just dug out an old post I made about this after talking to PPL and PRS. Don't know if it is still applicable really as it's 12 years old (crikey, have we been chatting for that long?) but here it is.

 

That really made me laugh! Yes we must have been chatting that long, look at your beard!!!!!

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we've had a more recent conversation about licences! I think we came to the conclusion that if you are using music for educational purposes then you do not need a licence. There is more info on the gov.uk website...schools are not listed as needing one. There are LOTS of dodgy companies trying to sell these (although ppl and prs appear genuine)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am still confused. If you keep going though the gov website nurseries and schools are included. A school does not need one if it plays music in a curricular activity but does for everything else. I have just received an invoice for £96 joint invoice of £40 each plus VAT from PPL and PRS. I am still not sure if we are excluded from payment and the problem is we have now received an invoice from them so late payment incurs a fee and court?? It is all very horrible and why now after almost 40 years as running a pre-school do we suddenly need a licence? http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PPS%20Tariffs/n-tariff.pdfwhat do you think?

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In order to simplify the system for Nurseries, pre-schools and creches the PPL and PRS have joined and issue just one license for £80. See the link below

 

http://www.ppluk.com/I-Play-Music/Businesses/How-much-does-a-licence-cost/Nurseries/

 

We don't have a license and I have always ignored the letters/phone calls etc. We don't do any public performances and just have some nursery rhyme type CDs for use in the nursery on a day to day basis. We don't play music in reception or anything.

Edited by GFCCCC
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I am still confused. If you keep going though the gov website nurseries and schools are included. A school does not need one if it plays music in a curricular activity but does for everything else. I have just received an invoice for £96 joint invoice of £40 each plus VAT from PPL and PRS. I am still not sure if we are excluded from payment and the problem is we have now received an invoice from them so late payment incurs a fee and court?? It is all very horrible and why now after almost 40 years as running a pre-school do we suddenly need a licence? http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PPS%20Tariffs/n-tariff.pdfwhat do you think?

 

I've had exactly the same phone call followed by a letter and invoice for the same amount. It makes me cross! Have you decided what to do shelfpreschool?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for the delay in responding. I did pay in the end as everything I googled led me back to this site pretty much. We do have the usual story cds and nursery rhymes but I suppose every now and then we play music through spotify for our dough dance sessions. It is just annoying that we are being stung with another bill. Thanks for the help everyone.

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My husband was working in an old peoples home this week. Someone was removing the TV from the communiual lounge, my husband joked about it being stolen..... The manager replied 'it might just as well be stolen-we have to remove it because we can't afford the public license now'

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I understood form the persistent and quite agressive chap on the phone that if the cd was listed on thier website you didn't need to pay. We use Sticky kids, Relax kids and Musical express, all listed but apparently we still need to pay. I think it's awful that we pay for music designed for preschool situations and then have to pay £100 per year for the privelidge, it can't be right can it?

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Copyright, designs and patent act section 34:

Performing, playing or showing work in course of activities of educational establishment.

(1)The performance of a literary, dramatic or musical work before an audience consisting of teachers and pupils at an educational establishment and other persons directly connected with the activities of the establishment—

(a)by a teacher or pupil in the course of the activities of the establishment, or

(b)at the establishment by any person for the purposes of instruction,

is not a public performance for the purposes of infringement of copyright.

 

 

 

So we don't need to pay for a licence, if my understanding is right?

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  • 3 months later...

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