bars fined by record company..

usual suspect · Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 70 Location: Huahin

So it was true...what my Mrs was blathering-on about.
Seems the MiB posed as record company officials eh...has it happened in
other resorts? What about Cha-Am or Samui?
Don't think they were targeting 'computer based sound systems', many
bars were threatened with confiscation of amps/ CD players.
What I did hear was the bar owners in Poolsuk Plaza bombarded the
'officials' with CDs on their departure...slinging/skimming CDs at them
+ an array of choice words...tempers flared and damn right too.

panovtours · Rookie Joined: 22 Sep 2006 Posts: 12 Location: Hua Hin

Music returned in tact
No liscence issued at time of fine,
No inspection of contents (listing music ect)
No court action
No exact fine(dictated by the powers to be)
??????????
it's just pocket money. and to be seen to be doing something.

But it would have been nice if the people who were fined last week gave us the heads up.

da · Specialist Joined: 04 May 2007 Posts: 150

The Thai police are merely doing their part to implement WTO mandated intellectual property rights protections.
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buksida · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject:

Nereus · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:39 pm Post subject:

HHTel · Professional Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 278

I was in Pattaya a couple of weeks ago and this is happening a lot there. My friends computer was confiscated and the cashier arrested. The fact that there were no speakers attached to the computer was no defence when paying the fine.

I read in either the Pattaya Post or Pattaya Today that the law now exists for the police to enter any premises private or commercial without a court warrant and sieze your computer for investigation. Looking for porn, anything derogatory about Thailand and anything else which they would deem illegal.

Talk about 'Big Brother'!

Nereus · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

JimboPSM · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 8:39 am Post subject:

From another perspective, how has this affected the atmosphere in the bars?

On my last couple of visits to HH the “music” did appear excessively loud in some establishments – but that may just be a function of advancing years.

Norseman · Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 9:02 am Post subject:

Good point Jimbo. Agree

But instead of the implementation of the new computer pecking order they could simply raise the men in brown's salary.
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Big Boy · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:08 pm Post subject:

BaaBaa. · Ace Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 1063 Location: England.

The raids get a brief mention in stickman this week, about 2/3rds down.
http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickMarkII/NakhonPhanom.htm

hogus · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:35 pm Post subject:

dr dave soul monsta · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject:

The heads up on this is that it is genuine and the big fines can be avoided by purchasing a license to play music of any format in the bars, Hotels, guest houses etc.....

I think a written letter or warnings to all bars from the local authorities who may have known about this for a while and forgotten to mention it to any one in the area would have been way to go fore warning of these raids and permitting owners to get legal rather than just strolling into town in the height of low season and busting every one thus creating many bad feelings to the concerned bodies doing the deed. This is a rather trivial matter but not for the unfortunate who have been fined a small fortune for none compliance which many knew nothing of until the confiscations of equipment & demands for money in the way of huge fines (very unfair practice in my own opinion)

The following info has been provided by the owner of a bar who did her own research into this and has now passed the following Information onto us, for all to share....

Copyright license to Play Music for Bars

Thai Music:
Grammy: Tel: 026699000 approximate 9,000 Baht

Foreign Music: Sony-BMG, EMI, Universal, S.Stack, Warner
Contact Person: Panoo
Tel: 022031049 – 50
You will be charged according to the size of your bar (per square wah) and seating areas. You should mention if you’re only using CD or using the computer for playing music as it has different rates. Appx 7,000 Baht valid for one year!!! better than 50,000 Baht every time they feel like checking the place.

LOCALLY, YOU CAN GET A LICENCE TO PLAY MUSIC (not copyright) FROM TESABAN (MUNICIPAL) AROUND 150 BAHT, AND WILL BE READY IN TWO WEEKS TIME.

and i would also suspect that many who were fined were not given this information also ....
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hogus · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:08 pm Post subject:

Good one, dr dsm...

Unfortunately, it seems the main-reason was not to protect any copyrights, but to fill up the own pockets a little bit in a comfortable way!?
If they really just had the idea to fight against the violation of copyrights, the authorities would have made suitable information or even warnings accessible, before they start playing "Blitz war".

Have they just done their job or were they cunning again to rip off others (mainly foreigners!?), that's the question!
Confused

lomuamart · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:42 pm Post subject:

Hogus,
My wife tells me that this is nothing new. I mentioned it earlier on this thread.
Thai run karaoke bars have been raided for many a year in HH, their systems seized and fines imposed.
My wife is saying this was happening to Thai run places about 5 years ago. The threatened fines were also about 200k, but people settled for less.
It's totally wrong that you aren't given the opportunity to rectify the situation, however I'm assured it's not just a problem that comes a farang's way.
Despite the above, some guidelines from the authorities would be welcome, I'm sure.
I had a bar here a while ago and it never ceased to amaze me how many times we were appartantly beyond the laws. Mind you, in those days, the police always did give us some leeway.
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