SACEM - do I have to pay this comany?

General Discussion
1

Hi


I have a recently started chambre d'hote (I have spoken to some of you before). After registering as an AE I am receiving mounds of letters and one is from SACEM - I have looked them up online but basically I need to know if I should send them payment for having a TV in the bedrooms for guests?


Your help again, would be appreciated.



Thanks


Colette

2

Some SACEM offices can be more agressive than others. A friend had an article published in small local rag on a musical soirée they had at his house to publicise his small group. The following week he received a letter from SACEM Lyon demanding to know what was played and how many were present so they could determine how much the bill would be. I think he just ignored it.

Our local bar has taken out their radio because SACEM were asking for 500€.

3

In the UK you would need PPL - Public Performance License (though most fitness instructors have a four letter word to call them) as well.

Who know here.

4

Thanks Martin, this just keeps getting better.

Colette

5

Hi Colette.

PRS in the UK is all about the intellectual property rights with reference public performance(s). A live or pre-recorded 'public' performance on a TV or Radio is therefore covered within the TV license that UK homeowners are required to have by law. The TV license. albeit all the funds go to the BBC, covers all the broadcasters BBC and Commercial, Performing Rights Society requirements.

Whether this is the same for SACEM I don't know. As you are not deciding what the client is watching, nor can you control or monitor, it is my opinion, and I am only applying common sense here, that you cannot be held responsible. So. So long as you have a TV license I believe you are covered.

That said I will be interested to hear if anyone knows different.

Martin

6

Thanks David, I think I will have to contact Sacem then to clarify this.

Colette

7

SACEM is the equivalent of the British Performing Rights Society and seems to operate in much the same way. Its website is not really very clear as the reference to TV seems to apply to the broadcaster and not to having a TV in a public place like a bar or restaurant which is covered elsewhere on the SACEM website. I'm not sure that having a TV in a bedroom constitutes TV in a "public" space. Only SACEM can give you the answer to that. However you will be caught by the "redevance audiovisuelle" the equivalent of the British TV licence. The French redevance works on the same basis as the British licence in that if you have a device with a tuner capable of receiving TV signals you have to pay hence Cynthia having to pay even though she only used the TV as a monitor.The fact the TV's are for English TV is irrelevant as far as the tax authorities are concerned. I imagine, though I may be wrong, that you will only be charged once a year for the Redevance and that the demand will be attached to your taxe d'habitation. One redevance covers the foyer for as many TV's as it has. So SACEM and Redevance two entirely different things.

8

Thanks Cynthia

Very helpful but not what I wanted to hear. We were told that once we registered as AE, we would receive lots of demands for money and to ignore them. I wondered if this letter was one of those but obviously not, so I'm glad I checked on SFN.

Regards

Colette

9

Thanks Andrew, I think you are correct; I need to ask other B&Bs because the tvs are just for English TV

10

I think you do, but seek advice from other B+B people, I have to pay if I have a radio, TV or other media playing in my shop - I don't and so don't pay but I had to fill in all the forms stating I don't

Hope that helps ;-)