The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #6498   Message #38348
Posted By: BBJ
16-Sep-98 - 05:00 PM
Thread Name: Intellectual property
Subject: RE: Intellectual property
With reference to the "radio in the barbershop" comment, let me relate a first hand experience. The company I worked for back in 1989 had a PA system with speakers throughout the building. A radio provided one of the inputs to the PA amp, and music was heard unless a page from the phone system grabbed control of the speakers. We got hit with a bill from BMI for "rebroadcasting" the music. So we disconnected the radio from the PA. Each office had a radio in it and they were all tuned to the very same station. This was OK, because we were only receiving the station, not "rebroadcasting" the music. I know, I know...just remember we are talking about what is the law here, not what makes sense. Building wiring is "rebroadcasting", but internal wiring inside the radio is not. And watch out if you use a radio station for music on hold. They love to catch you doing that!