More recording industry stupidity

The Scottish equivalent of the RIAA (the PRS) threatened to sue a grocery store worker for singing to herself as she shelved items.  They later apologized, but I think that even the fact that they thought this was the right thing to do is disturbing, and shows how out-of-whack intellectual property laws are.

The village store where Mrs Burt works was contacted by the PRS earlier this year to warn them that a licence was needed to play a radio within earshot of customers.

When the shop owner decided to get rid of the radio as a result, Mrs Burt said she began singing as she worked.

She told the BBC news website: "I would start to sing to myself when I was stacking the shelves just to keep me happy because it was very quiet without the radio.

"When I heard that the PRS said I would be prosecuted for not having a performance licence, I thought it was a joke and started laughing.

"I was then told I could be fined thousands of pounds. But I couldn't stop myself singing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8317952.stm