CCLI trying to make a fast buck?

[Southern Comfort]

CCLI appear to be riding on the back of the Papal Visit.

They have circulated every parish in my diocese, saying that if they are putting on any concerts to raise funds for the Papal Visit then the parish should take out a PRS licence (via CCLI, of course). They modestly omit the fact that it costs rather more to obtain a PRS licence via them than it does to go direct to PRS, or indeed to the publishers, always assuming that any of the material performed requires a PRS licence anyway. Very few of our parishes have contemplated putting on Papal Visit concerts or recordings, but:

While they are at it, CCLI have taken the opportunity to point out that if Keep Fit classes are being held on parish premises, then the parish needs to purchase a PRS licence (from CCLI, of course) to cover them for any music played during the classes. And that they need to purchase this licence for every church in the parish. They have omitted to mention (a) that it may be only one parish hall that is affected by this and not every church, (b) that parishes cannot be expected to know what those who rent the premises are up to, and are therefore in law not responsible for any music played, which may in any case not be subject to performing rights, (c) that this usage could be classified as private, and (d) that in any case the legal position is totally unclear as to whether it is the owners of hall or those who rent it who are in fact liable to pay any performing right fees, if indeed these are actually involved.

You may want to warn those in your part of the world to ignore any attempts of this kind to create revenue for CCLI by stealth.

[Reginald]

CCLI send similar letters to schools at regular intervals - I narrowly avoided a well-meaning member of the admin team taking out said license and thereby wasting a tidy sum. Our Calamus is more than adequate, and we pay for Shine Jesus Shine and Be Still For the Presence as and when the need arises. (Couldn't agree more with SC in the other thread about Shiney Jesus by the way!)

[contrabordun]

we pay for Shine Jesus Shine and Be Still For the Presence as and when the need arises.

So - doesn't cost anything at all then?

[docmattc]

Its been my experience too that CCLI's marketing style is, shall we say, somewhat proactive.