Belgian taxi drivers must pay royalties for using the radio

Belgian taxi drivers must pay for radio music they play in their taxis. Besides subways, buses, planes and trucks, taxis and rental cars with a driver also need to pay a fee for using copyright protected music in their vehicles. GTL-Taxi, the Belgian National Group of companies with Taxi and Location Vehicles with driver, and the Belgian collecting society SABAM signed an agreement.  In the future, taxi drivers need to pay fifteen euro cents a day per vehicle to SABAM. On an annual basis, the costs are about thirty-five euros per vehicle.

In the spring of this year we reported that SABAM was collecting fees from truckers who listened to the radio. The collecting society executed this plan in response to the general rule that all companies need to pay a fee for music on their workplace, depending on the number of staff. SABAM's task is to strive for a fair fee for authors for the use of their works outside the family (inner) circle. Taxis and limousines are open to the public, so SABAM considers them as public places. Therefore transport companies also need to pay royalties now. In Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal and Finland, collecting societies already organize the fees for music in taxis.

However, it is unclear what GLT-taxi and SABAM agreed on when it comes to drivers who do not listen to the radio. Should they also pay a fee or are they excluded from paying? In my view, this uncertainty is an important aspect and SABAM should take this into consideration.

Read more about SABAM on FutureofCopyright.com:

• Internet providers have to contribute according to Sabam
• SABAM wants a collective agreement with internet providers over copyright fees

References: DeRedactie.be, SABAM.

By: Karen Groen