Since when was anything nice about the music business, and why would anyone expect anything different? It's always been a rat trap filled with good intentions from my experience.
Heck, in most cities, you need a license to dance in a club or bar. Hopefully there was no dancing at the farmers market. Can you imagine the penalties for that?
Nobody is claiming any sanity here, just stating how things are.
I don't call verifying violations and asking to be made whole with possible relatively small court actions a sting. I call it prudent business protecting my song's revenue streams (if I had any) in a world where there is free transfer of digital information (and hopefully that transfer ability stays that way). That transfer ability also means finding new revenue streams, and tightly monitoring current ones.
Had the hosts of the events had any common business sense or knowledge, they would know that live performance needs a license. That person in the article who operates a house club claiming ignorance at $222 licensing for a year is a joke as a business operator in my humble opinion. Again, this is in profit situations. If it is for charity, etc., I say play away. Isn't it prudent to discuss going into business with a lawyer familiar with the topic to make sure you have all the bases covered for your liabilities?
Claiming ignorance and being found guilty with no intent has been part of the legal framework here for sometime, sad as it may be. Sorry officer, I didn't see that speed limit sign doesn't work too often.
But then again, I worked in licensing, trying to make sure my company was compliant to PAY THE SONGWRITERS. And then some songwriters complain about collections.... sigh....
Every month at work I get a nasty letter from the landlord saying pay up or move out despite being up to date with no problems. The landlord says it's a computer generated letter and to forget it when I get one. The point being, if they call and talk to BMI or ASCAP, I am sure those firms would be friendly, just like Harry Fox was with me. Of course they threatened legal action, if not pursued it against my former company, but they never were rampaging. Just business as usual, always approachable, and willing to make a deal.
