Original Message 1/7                 Date: 31-Jan-07  @  08:20 PM   -   Music/Licensing Laws

Moujik

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This one for UK heads only I'm afraid! Please have a read & sign the petition.



Copied & pasted:

Subject: Music/Licensing Laws - Official Downing Street petition

PLEASE CIRCULATE
Our wonderfully democratic country has made the unlicensed provision of even
one musician in a pub a potentially criminal offence (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.

The live music/licensing e-petition questions this, and now has nearly 4,300
signatures. It currently stands at no.18 in the list of 2,295 petitions on
the Number 10 website: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

This is good, especially in just under a month - and there are five more
months in which people can sign. 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.

Thanks!!


For those that are interested...

Details of 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 licence 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 licence were denied it, and
many who were previously limited to 2-in-a-bar now have the ability to stage
music with 2 or more musicians... This contrasts, of 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 TEN).' ['Licensing Act 2003, The
experience of smaller establishments in applying for live music
authorisation', December 2006', paragraphs
6.1.1 and 6.1.2 'Conclusions', p54; Caroline Callahan, Andy Martin, Anna
Pierce, Ipsos-MORI]

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Message 2/7                 Date: 31-Jan-07  @  10:18 PM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

nme

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Unreal, £20K fine & 6 months in prison????

To put this into perspective the UK FSA (Food Standards Agency) consider a fine of up to £10K & 6 months in prison (or at least they did, unless the same crakpot politicians have managed to get their grubby little hands on this one too!) quite adequate for offences that could & often do lead to food poisoning or salmonella as its better known which is a very real threat to the life of those that contract it!!!!!

Talk about priorities, WTF?

Im sure the 6 months sentence has unlicensed publicans quaking in there boots seeing as theres not enough space in the prisons to bang up the burglars, so community service is offered in its place? Yeah that should stop the wankers (burglars) dead in there tracks!!!!

On a lighter note. that being said, having heard some of the bands Ive heard playing at out local could have been considered life threatening, often I have considered throwing myself out the window, fortunatly the pub is on the ground floor so personal injury would be limited to minor cuts & abbrasions, you would think.
Perhaps a fairer way to structure the fine would have been dependant on what level the actual bar is sited on & the subsequent risk to harm should one decide to take the aforementioned action, eg ground floor £500, 1st floor £5K and so on. If for instance you were in the OXO tower (tallest bar I could think of) at the time then a fine of £500K would be more appropriate based on the fact of the prices they charge & the distance to the ground from the tower bar & subsequent risk to human life!

Anyway thats by barmy rant over with!

Yeah, ill sign your pertition, if for no other reason other than to get right up the noses of the tossers who thought of it!

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Message 3/7                 Date: 31-Jan-07  @  10:49 PM     Edit: 31-Jan-07  |  11:24 PM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

nme

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Done!

Its now over 6500 signatures!

Ive put your post on another site Im a member of too, http://www.rikkshosting.com in the Music Room, although its a football site, this lot are also pretty keen on their music too.

Hopefully that will help add some more momentum to the cause.

PS. I have just taken a look at some of the other petition category lists & causes & although there are some worthy causes some of them make amusing reading, such as,

"replace the national anthem with 'Gold' by Spandau Ballet"

There are aswell some 'real life' Victor Meldrew type petitions too! (no offence K)

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Message 4/7                 Date: 01-Feb-07  @  11:48 AM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

k

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iheardat!

___________________________________

I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!

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Message 5/7                 Date: 12-Feb-07  @  11:16 PM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

nme

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Its now at no8 out of 2929 with 11437 signatures.


recognise that music and dance should not be restricted by burdensome licensing regulations

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Message 6/7                 Date: 04-Jul-07  @  06:07 PM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

nme

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If your interested the response from no 10 can be found at,

music & licensing laws petition - government response

It collected, Signatures: 79,905

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Message 7/7                 Date: 05-Jul-07  @  12:30 PM   -   RE: Music/Licensing Laws

k

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hmm, i'd say the property prices is the biggest threat to venues nowadays not the government (not directly anyways) + health and safety has restricted alot of venues in terms of numbers allowed. Anyways it's harder to get gigs in London now and that's changed in just one year tbh! it was easier to get gigs last year... that sounds mad doesnt it? but it's true i think

___________________________________

I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!

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