Maine Municipalities Dunned for Music Licensing Fees

Updated: 12:40 AM
Maine towns, cities face demands to pay music fees
Some smaller municipalities object to the licensing fees charged by ASCAP and BMI for civic performances.

By SUSAN MCMILLAN Kennebec Journal

HALLOWELL - ....snip

...Broadcast Music Inc. ....(asked) that Hallowell pay ...$309 licensing fee because groups... perform copyrighted music on city-owned property....

... performance-rights organizations...stepped up demands for municipalities to pay licensing fees....failure ...is an infringement of copyright ...violation of federal law. ....

...snip
"It seems... these licensing organizations are onto a new revenue stream -- cities and towns -- and they are going after them," Conrad said. "We had to pay the fee here (at the Maine Municipal Association) as well. ..."

Source

************

Talk about "delicious irony." Municipalities love to nickel/dime residents nigh unto death, with all the FEES, permits, licenses, and other red tape required to do business or live/build/renovate within their borders.

Municipalities are the largest supporters for licensing and permits when it comes to lining their own coffers, so it stands to reason they should support the same principle when it comes to paying their own "fair share" to the music industry. The MMA is the poster-child when it comes to supporting the legalized fee extortion practiced by cities and towns, so the MMA should be in complete support of the music industry's claims.

Shoe; please meet Other Foot.