Finnish Taxi Drivers to Pay Copyright Fees to Listen to Radio

Finland's Supreme Court has ruled that taxi drivers must pay royalty fees if they play music in their car while transporting customers. The decision also extends to the radio. Under the ruling, taxi drivers must pay an annual copyright fee of 22 EUROS (about $35 CDN) for playing music while carrying a fare. The case was initiated when Lauri Luotonen, a cab driver and chairman of the Helsinki Taxi Driver's Association, refused to pay a bill from the Finnish Copyright Society, Teosto, in 1997 and 1998. Teosto, the group that administers royalty payments to artists, argued that playing music for customers in a taxi was similar to playing music in a public setting, such as a restaurant or pub. For additional information, visit: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_721008 http://www.ipaccess.gov.au/news_clipping/index.phtml/id/2016 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2542291.stm