Friday 21 April 2017

Public Performance

As I mentioned previously in my C.V. Course aka Gateway post there is a television in a room on the wall in the People1st building in Letterkenny. When I did the C.V. course they had the television tuned into RTE news before the course started which was then hooked up to a laptop to show the slides they had to show. Now most weeks when I walk past the room where the television is when I have to job search the television is turned on and tuned into RTE news when the room is not being used for "Gateway".

Do People1st have a TV licence?

On the AnPost website it says the following under TV Licence General FAQ.

Do you have a television set in your office or business premises?

If you have a television set at your business premises it is your legal obligation to have a valid TV Licence. There is no requirement to have a TV Licence for each set as one TV Licence covers all TV sets at a single premises.You must also have a valid TV Licence even if the television set is just being used for meetings or for training purposes.

http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/TVLicence/TVLicenceStandard.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID=%7b0C160E7A-4F62-4357-BC21-7FB999396792%7d&NRORIGINALURL=%2fAnPost%2fMainContent%2fPersonal%2bCustomers%2fMore%2bfrom%2bAn%2bPost%2fTV%2bLicence%2fGeneral%2bTV%2bLicence%2bFAQs%2ehtm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#busprem

Regardless of whether People1st in Letterkenny have or don't have a TV Licence more importantly do they have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?

Since the 13th of March 2017 there has been a radio sitting on the floor in the People1st building in Letterkenny turned up really loud. There is only one reason I can think of why it is there and why it is on switched on everyday.

This is an attempt to prevent other people from over hearing personal information being given out by either the unemployed people or the job advisers when in actual fact it does the opposite as the job advisers now talk even louder than ever before as they can't hear themselves other wise.

Do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence for these public performances?

Some of the radio stations that they have tuned into so far include, Today FM, 2FM and one of the worst radios stations in Ireland, iRadio. As I write this its tuned into Al Porter on Today FM who's as funny as a toothache.

I have posted below some of the faqs that are on the imro website site along with a link to their site.

https://www.imro.ie/faqs/

It’s only staff that listen to the radio / watch TV in the workplace, the general public don’t have access to the business premises so why do I still have to pay for an IMRO Dual Music Licence?
It is irrelevant who in your organisation has access to copyright music via the TV/radio. What is relevant is that the use of music in the workplace is in public and is considered a public performance of the copyright work, because the performance / music use is taking place outside of the domestic environment.

Do I need a licence? All I use is a TV / radio!

Yes you do. All TV and radio broadcasts contain copyright music, hence an IMRO Dual Music Licence is required.. Holding an IMRO Dual Music Licence is a legal requirement if you are using IMRO controlled copyright music in any business or workplace in the Republic of Ireland, including the use of music via TV’s, radios, music systems, PC’s, music in presentations, music on hold, live music, discos, karaoke, etc.

What is meant by “public performance”?

A public performance of copyright music takes place when that music is used anywhere outside of the domestic environment.

The staff bring in their own radio, it doesn’t belong to the company.


Under Sec 37 (2) of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 ‘the copyright in a work is infringed by a person who without the licence of the copyright owner undertakes, or authorises another to undertake’, the public performance of the work. Therefore in effect by allowing staff use their own radio in the workplace, you are, as their employer, authorising the use of music on your premises and you must hold an IMRO Dual Music Licence to allow you and them to do so.

https://www.imro.ie/music-users/which-licence-suits-my-business/factories-offices/

A Dual Music Licence from IMRO is required if you use copyright music as a background to work, meals, breaks, exercise and recreation at workplaces such as offices, factories, canteens or restrooms. A Dual Music Licence applies to performances of copyright music within the repertoire controlled by IMRO & PPI.

This blog is having some sort of effect as not only have they now got a radio on the floor turned up loud to try and give people some kind of privacy but they also since the start of January 2017 have A4 printed sheets on ALL the job advisers desks that read the following "Private room available on upon request" 

Obviously People1st/Seetec/ are in a quandary as to how to keep things private concerning people giving out personal information in an open public space, hence the radio playing and A4 sheets on desks informing about a private room.

But the question still reminds, do People1st/Seetec have an IMRO Dual Music Licence?