RE: Music piped to gas pumps

[Gary F <gff@mediaone.net>]

I checked with the ASCAP office in Framingham and they confirmed my suspicion -
restaurants, etc. that pipe in music (whether full broadcast or not) MUST pay a fee
to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.  A friend of mine owns a number of DD shops (the coffee
folks) and he has to pay about $900 per year per shop - he got caught a few years ago not
doing it and had to pay a arrearages and penalties in excess of $75,000!!

The radio station (or TV station) pays the right to broadcast the music, but when another
business replays the audio in their business - they are using the composer's work and must
compensate the composer for his/her work.  

- -g.f.

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