D.K.1

MUSIC LICENCE PETITION
Body: MUSIC LICENSING LAW PETITION

Subject: Music/Licensing Laws - Official Downing Street petition
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:36:37
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise that music and dance should not be restricted by burdensome licensing regulations.

Please add your name to this petition and pass this on to as many others as possible

The live music/licensing e-petition currently stands at no.17 in the list of 1,702 petitions on the Number 10website: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise that music and dance should not be restricted by burdensome licensing regulations.

The Government have recently passed laws in the UK to try and suppress live music and dance. Pubs/bars which could previously offer work to solo singers or duos now have to pay for a special licence and can only have 12 of these per year. Even school Xmas concerts need to be licensed.

If you don't know there is a UK government web site where anyone can now start a petition and that's what is being done. we've just received the following email which explains things more clearly and gives the site
address .

If you care about keeping music live please take the time to
sign the petition.

There are five more months in which people can sign. (CLOSING DATE: 11 June 2007).
But the petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers and to encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments. The petition is for everyone, not just musicians. Please consider signing if you haven't already done so. If you have signed, encourage friends to sign. Points to remember about the new legislation:

a.. The unlicensed provision of even one musician is a potential criminal offence (although some places are exempt, including places of public religious worship, royal palaces and moving vehicles). Max penalty: £20,000 fine and six months in prison.

b.. The rationale is to prevent noise, crime and disorder, to ensure
public safety, and the protection of children from harm.

c.. But broadcast entertainment, including sport and music, is exempt - no matter where, and no matter how powerfully amplified.

d.. In the transition to the new regime, bars with jukeboxes, CD players etc. were automatically granted a license to play recorded music; but their automatic entitlement to one or two musicians was abolished.

e.. For the first time, private performances raising money for charity are licensable.

f.. School performances open to friends and family are licensable - they count as public performances.

g.. Under the old regime all premises licensed to sell alcohol for
consumption on the premises were automatically allowed up to two live musicians (the 'two in a bar rule').

h.. In December, DCMS published research confirming that about 40% of these have lost any automatic entitlement to live music as a result of the new Act: 'Very few establishments that wanted a new license were denied it, and many who were previously limited to 2-in-a-bar now have course, with the fact that 40% of establishments now have no automatic means of putting on live music (i.e. they would have to give a Temporary
Event Notice).'

['Licensing Act 2003: The experience of smaller establishments in
applying for live music authorization'; December 2006', paragraphs 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 'Conclusions', p54; Caroline Callahan, Andy Martin, Anna Pierce, Ipsos-MORI]. Temporary Event Notice - in effect a temporary entertainment licence. Only 12 are allowed per premises per year. They cost £21 each.

See the full MORI reports on this site:

Department for Culture Media and Sport - Sorry, an error has occurred link to sign petition is here..

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recognise that music and dance should not be restricted by burdensome licensing regulations.


Thanks everyone. Please email this to everyone you know, post it on other forums, myspace it, whatever you can do.

D.K.1

Up!

IMO, it would be awful if tis came into force, because it would see the end of school plays, chistmas concerts and make it a damn sight harder for artists to perform on the circuit without it costing them a fortune....

A lot of bands start in the club/pub circuit and would be a real shame if they coulnd't do it any more because of this.

34srm

does anyone care

Maz

iTrader: (34)

Signed, sealed and delivered

34srm

thought they needed an entertainment licence anyway think youve got your wires crossed, think this is about needing a licence for public places like , offices, workshops, etc , we had letter few months back saying we needed one

D.K.1

Those in the industry do care, yes.

I was sent it by a performer.