How To Turn YourseH In
First of all, you should know that there is no penalty for late filings. I've
checked this with the chief of the licensing division at the Copyright Office, and
she assures me that they aren't even considering penalties at this time for late
filings . They just want to get this registration matter over with.
H, as of yet, you haven't turned yourseH in, you should write the Copyright
Office at the following address:
Licensing Division
U.S. Copyright Office
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20557
H, however, you don't want to take your chances with the postal service, you
can call the licensing division at (703) 557-8730 or at (703) 557-1997.
Whether you call or write, tell them you want a JB Form.
Then, fill out the JB Form (note here that if you have the manufacturer's serial
number, you don't have to list anything under the column marked "Other
Identifying Information"). When you return the form to the Copyright Office,
enclose a payment of eight dollars per jukebox per year. This payment must be in
the form of a money order, cashier's check, or certified check; personal or
company checks are not acceptable.
Finally, when you get the certificates, you must place them on your jukeboxes
within ten days of their issuance.
To File Or Not To File
I'm sure many operator s are still debating whether or not they should file.
After all, they think, the law is unfair. Besides, they reason, if the federal
government wants the money, it should eaIl me, not vice versa.
But if you want it straight from PLAY METER, here it is-register your
jukeboxes. Don't play around with this law, you're the only one who'll get burned.
There are several reasons for saying this.
First and most importantly, you are leaving yourseH open to multitudinous
lawsuits on each jukebox you fail to register (each record on each jukebox can
become a separate copyright infringement). Although the federal government
may be lackadaisical in this matter of jukebox registration, you can rest assured
that ASCAP and Pals will be vigorously searching out violators of this law since
they have such a large stake in it. So operators who think they are getting away
are only fooling themselves; they are only leaving themselves open for the
headhunt that will soon follow.
Second, the jukebox law does afford operators a chance to establish credibility
for themselves. And that is much needed if we are ever going to change the
antiquated and unenlightened view most governmental bodies have towards the
coin machine amusement industry.
Third, if the collection base and the operator response remains as low as it is
now (and the performing rights societies end up with nothing gained from an
eight-dollar-a-box assessment), then there's a good chance we'll see the
legislators giving ASCAP and Pals a more attentive ear when the jukebox law
goes up for review in 1980. "A more attentive ear" can be construed as hiking the
per-jukebox-assessment and possibly requiring operators to list additional
information.
Of course, you realize this is illogical, since a tax increase and further
complications of the JB Form would only make filing even more burdensome and,
in fact , would only penalize those operators who have been paying all along. But
then you should remember that although you can blame the government of being
wasteful , inefficient, and perhaps even stupid, you certainly cannot accuse it of
being logical. Arguments from A.M.O.A. or any other jukebox operator group
would suffer with the legislators. Don't forget ASCAP and Pals just want their
money, and they don't care if it comes from 1,300 operators or from 8,000
operators. They just want their money.
A Possible Remedy
One thing which I think should be considered the next time around (in 1980) is
for the federal government to get out of the private collection business. H they
think ASCAP and Pals deserve royalties payments, let that money come out of
the national treasury. This way neither the operators nor ASCAP and Pals would
have to worry about low collections. And the federal government could be left to
deal with the insatiable money demands of the performing rights societies. The
alternative is to give ASCAP and Pals and the feds the leverage to tax an
industry right out of existence.
I guess it'll always be this way until those people in Washington learn that
everyone can't have everything he wants, that, in fact, Uncle Sam can't be all
things to all people.
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