Belgian truck drivers must pay royalties for listening to the radio
Belgian truck drivers will have to pay a manditory contribution for music royalties for listening to their radio while on the road. SABAM, the Belgian society that collects royalties for copyrightholders, has decided this. The Belgian copyright watchdog considers the cabin of truck drivers a "workspace".
This announcement by SABAM is of course very controversial. The fact that the organisation has something to say about listenig to a car radio goes too far, according to many Belgians. The federal minister of enterprise Vincent van Quickenborne (Open VLD) is critical too: "Radio is essential for truckers, for example to receive traffic information. Moreover, a cabin is a private space."
In response to fierce criticism from the transport sector, SABAM was willing to reconsider the "workplace rule”. The fees payable for transport companies will now be much lower than the levy envisaged by SABAM. Copyright society SABAM and branch organisation “Transport en Logistiek Vlaanderen” have agreed on a specific regime for transport companies.
The general rule is that all Belgian companies pay royalties for music in their workspace, depending on the number of employees. Road transport companies may now deduct the number of vehicles with a capacity of 500 kilograms and more. Thus, the new SABAM regime will now not hinder companies in the heavy road transport sector that much. "Businesses with fewer than nine employees are exempt them anyway, " said Thierry Dachelet, spokesman for SABAM.
Although this policy generates extra revenue for producers of broadcasted music, it is questionable whether SABAM generates sympathy for its higher purpose: ensuring reasonable revenues for copyrightholders. One also wonders what happens to Belgian truckers that never listen to their radio…
References (Dutch): De Morgen, De Standaard
Comments(3)
RDWoolf
If I listen to the the radio, or for that matter, if I listen to my own music on mu iPod, while sitting at my cubicle at work, do I own a fee to record companies too?
If I am in my car on the way home from work and am listening to the radio but then get a call from my boss asking me a question about something work-related, should I have to pay a fee then too?
How far can this idiotic logic go?
Peter
Hi RDWoolf, you're right, SABAMs decision is far out. The general rule in Belgium is that employers have to pay royalties for playing music on the workfloor. It is up to SABAM to determine how they define workspace. An office is definitely a professional place, so if a company plays music in their office they must pay royalties. The case where an individual employee brings their own radio is different, this music is not supplied by the employer. Now, SABAM has decided to designate a truck cabin as the professional workspace of a driver. If the transport company offers music in that workspace, royalties must be paid. Your own streetcar is not a professional vehicle, even if you call your boss in it. so, don't worry, you'll be safe from SABAM.
Chris
The whole concept of collecting royalties for listening to the radio is of course ludicrous in itself. Having music broadcasted through radio (and television) is the advertising model for the musicindustry. So in essence they are charging people to listen to their commercials.
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