The Hindu : New Delhi News : It may not rock on New Year's Eve

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 23, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

It may not rock on New Year's Eve

Staff Reporter

Action against those playing commercial music without paying licence fee

NEW DELHI: The countdown to the New Year may have already begun, but with the Capital's top hotels and restaurants facing music of a different kind yet again, the big bash of December 31 may just not be as rocking an affair for many.

With a large number of Delhi's restaurants and pubs yet again found ducking the licence fee for commercial use of music and thus violating the Copyright Act 1957, the Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) -- the licensing arm of the music industry -- has now undertaken a national campaign across 10 cities in the country including all metros, where it will be obtaining injunctions from the High Court against all defaulting venues.

Nearly 80 top hotels and restaurants in the Capital have been already sent notices for not taking up licences for the gala New Year events announced by them. According to Section 35 of The Copyright Act' 1957, playing commercial music without paying a copyright license fee is an illegal act and is liable for action under contempt of court.

The section grants PPL the authority to issue licenses to hotels/ pubs for playing music during the events/ party's in their premises, which can range from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.50,000 depending on the number of hours a restaurant plays music and the number of people attending the event.

All hotels and restaurants need to get an annual license to play music through the year, with big events like Christmas and New Year celebrations requiring a separate event license.

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