I'd have thought football clubs have a blanket PRS licence, otherwise they could be fined every time a crowd sings a published song.
I'm not a lawyer, or a helicopter pilot... But... Music played over the tannoy I would have thought the club would be responsible for. Music the crowd sings, I wouldn't have thought the club has any responsibility over. Surely a club can't be held financially accountable for royalties on songs fans sing?
Wouldn't surprise me if the PRS tried. There was a case years ago where they tried to prosecute a shelf-stacker for singing at work. They couldn't make it stick and had to apologise for harassment, but I bet they could try if it is then audible on TV or something. The buggers are pretty keen, but like I said I imagine football clubs pay the licence. I think the system is different in the U.S., btw.
There's a woman who works at the Costco here giving out samples. (Costco a bit like Macro). She sings non stop during her shift while giving out samples. Very happy older lady. She would rack up quite a bill for the store if they had to pay royalties on her singing... Actually one time I went and she wasn't singing, I asked her and she was told she isn't allowed to sing anymore, I didn't pry for more details... But ever since, I go back and she's singing again, so I guess they reversed that decision. She's quite a feature... You go in the store you expect to hear her singing as she's giving away samples of chocolate cake...
That's the thing you see - the PRS would be all over that like a rash claiming it's commercial exploitation of copyrighted material. Whether they could make it stick I don't really know. But as I've said, stores have a licence - they have to. There have been cases here where they've tried to prosecute people for playing a radio in a back room of a workshop, for instance, where the public can't go. I have a friend who's a therapist, she has to have a licence just to play mood music to victims clients.
