The government through the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has directed restaurants owners to get licence to play music in their establishment or face huge fines.
The copyright board directed that all restaurants playing music should apply for their licence through Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) or pay fines of up to Ksh. 500,000.
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“To play music in your restaurants you require a CMO license. At the moment the CMOS ceased operations until their licenses or new licenses are issued.”
Restaurant owners need to make their application through the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) which is a CMO representing authors, composers and publishers of musical works
The board directed that any restaurant owner found to be playing music without a license will be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh. 500,000 or a prison term not exceeding four years or both.
According to MCSK, the licence covers the performances of music and audiovisual works provided by means of radio receiving sets, disc players, tape machines, video cassette players, television and similar devices including digitised music.
In addition, the license also covers background performances in all the common controlled areas of restaurants, cafes, bars, casinos and other similar food, gaming and liquor retailing establishments.
MCSK adds that every restaurant should be ready to part with Ksh. 9000 per year as the minimum ammount to be remitted to licence as the set flat rate then depending on the business, the ammount increases.
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The ammount that will be collected will be distributed to musicians yearly in a bid to increase musician earnings in the country by the copyright board.