ROYALTIES ON MUSIC.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5097, 7 March 1927, Page 2

ROYALTIES ON MUSIC.

COLLECTION OF FEES. ONUS ON HALL-OWNERS. Owners and executives of public halls on the Plains and elsewhere have during the past few months been in communication with an association which is demanding 'fees 'for the public performance of coyprighted music. For many years an enormous number of popular musical works which had been copyrighted in the name of tlie author, composer, publisher or other person have been played in public, but owing to the nature of the works practically no sale of the pianoforte or orchestral copies have resulted, and the owners pf the copyright had no means of securing remuneration for their labours. They felt the unfairness of the system under which, while large sums were paid to orchestras for t,he performance of their works, the only persons not remunerated tor such performances were the composers. Thus ip 1914 a Performing Rights Society was formed to protect the interests Of those who had copyrighted musical, literary, or dramatic matter. All societies formed in various parts of t.lie world for the same purpose have come to a working agreement, and recently the sphere of operations was extended to New Zealand. It thus controls some two million musical works proceeding from some 16,000 members, and these works must not be performed in public unless arrangements have been made with the association. As it would be unworkable and cumbersome If permission had to be obtained for the performance of every piece of music, the method adopted is to put the onus on the owner or licensee of the hall, picture theatre, restaurant, tea-rooms, hotel, skating rink, etc. where the music is played for the amusement of the public, An annual charge is. made for a license for the premises, and the licenseholder is required to furnish a certified list o’f pieces of music played songs sung, so- that the assessment can be amended if necessary and the amount of license fees collected can be divided among the copyright-hold-ers in proportion to the number of performances. Naturally many firms and associations o'f public entertainers in New Zealand have sought a legal loophole to escape the payment of fees, but so 'far without success as the law of copyright in New Zealand is very favourable to composers and authors, and the objects and methods of the association are perfectly genuine and legitimate. Most of the public halls on the Plains are now licensed.