Copyright fees prompt clash in Australia

SYDNEY, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- An organization representing Australian restaurants and nightclubs says its member should boycott some recording labels over an increase in copyright fees.

Clubs Australia, which represents 4,000 establishments, is pushing back against a decision by Phonographic Performance Co. of Australia to raise fees Dec. 1, Daily Variety reported Friday.

Clubs Australia Chief Executive David Costello suggested the higher performance fees might be an attempt to recover revenues lost to music piracy.

"It's well known that record labels have suffered a decline in CD sales due to illegal downloads," Costello said. "If this is about countering falling revenue for the big music companies then they should be addressing music piracy."

Clubs Australia asserts the fees will increase as much as 6,000 percent but PPCA said the increase would amount to about $925 per year for large clubs or restaurants.

Clubs Australia is recommending that its members boycott music from the 650 labels represented by PPCA, a list that includes Sony Music and Warner Music, Variety reported.

The organization said members could avoid fees by playing music by unsigned acts -- which could exploit the opportunity to sell CDs -- or by playing music by artists such as the Eagles "and others of that vintage," which can be played free of local copyright charges.