mv@cdc.gov (Major Variola ret) writes:

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_721008.html

Finnish taxi drivers to pay royalties for backseat music

Finland's Supreme Court has ruled taxi drivers must pay royalty fees if they play music in their car while a customer is in the backseat.

The order even applies to the radio.

A case, based on one driver's refusal to pay, is likely to set a precedent for the 9,500 cab drivers in the country.

Under the ruling, a cab driver in Finland must pay #14 annually for playing music while transporting a fare.

Lauri Luotonen, chairman of the Helsinki Taxi Drivers' Association, says the ruling is likely to force most drivers to keep their radios off.

Recently, two Finnish churches refused to pay royalties to the country's copyright society for the performance of Christmas hymns. The congregations won their case in a district court, but the society has appealed.