Does a Habbo Radio need a license?

[Black_Apalachi]

I know about other fansites but I don't know why you're all assuming Habbox isn't licensed. It can easily afford to so I'm sure it is.

[Richie]

I know about other fansites but I don't know why you're all assuming Habbox isn't licensed. It can easily afford to so I'm sure it is.

Well because they would have to pay loads... just say 2grand cos they have been broadcasting illegally for so long, i don't think sierk would hand over 2 grand or even a grand

[bub,is,rockin]

Well because they would have to pay loads... just say 2grand cos they have been broadcasting illegally for so long, i don't think sierk would hand over 2 grand or even a grand

Exactly no one who is running a Habbo Fansite would thats just stupid...

I know about other fansites but I don't know why you're all assuming Habbox isn't licensed. It can easily afford to so I'm sure it is.

Tbh do you actually have proof that Hx is licensed?

I've emailed PPLuk asking about what the laws and that are so when i get a reply ill post it in this forum

[bub,is,rockin]

Ok got an email back. Like all people have been supposing it IS illegal to run a radio online without a liecense.

Dear Josh,

Thanks for your email. I believe we last spoke in February of this year so I have forwarded that correspondence which covers the points you raise again in your most recent email (start at the bottom and scroll up).

Any person that wishes to stream copyright-protected sound recordings as part of an online radio service needs to have the relevant licences in place to do so. Failure to get those licences may result in an infringement of that copyright.

Kind Regards,

Natalie

Dear Josh,

Many thanks for your email.

Please be advised that licensing music usage is very much a legal issue. This is the law, and licensing online radio services has been going on for a very long time - this is not a new scheme and PPL has not just decided to target Habbo for the sake of it. I tried to contact a large number of Habbo sites over the last quarter of 2008, but did not get a response from a single station. As a last resort I contacted Sulake directly to resolve the matter, which is why last week they emailed a number of services. Interestingly, a number of Habbo forums have threads discussing licensing (and that mention PPL) dating back to 2007.

I'd like to clarify absolutely, that streaming music as part of an online radio service without a licence is an infringement of copyright. PPL is a not-for-profit company; we license all kinds of music usage and then collect and distribute the royalties to our members, the rightful copyright owners. If you are particularly interested in the laws and legal requirements that govern PPL please see the Office of Public Sector Information website for information on the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/UKpga_19880048_en_1.htm

Section 1 covers what copyright is, Section 5 covers what a Sound Recording is, Section 6 defines the term 'broadcast', Section 16 covers what copyright prevents other people from doing with the 'work' and Section 20 of the act covers the fact that broadcasting a work without permission constitutes an infringement of copyright

I have attached a FAQ sheet for the PPL Small Webcaster Licence which is aimed at small, hobbyist or volunteer online radio services.

Please let me know if you have any queries at all, I'd be happy to help

Kind Regards

Natalie

NATALIE THOMAS
Radio Broadcasting Assistant

Hope this clears everything?

[Misawa]

Yes, I believe this place's radio does not have a license. This issue was raised when they were actually contacted by authorities a few months back. Easily afford it? I'm told that this place is ran at a loss or a bare minimum of profit. He doesn't live on this website.

[Richie]

I really don't understand sulake, fansites have to pay for a broadcasting licence. The majority of the habbo fansites are being run by teenagers, were are teenagers going to get money for this? What I don't understand about habbo is a few months back they enforced a new rule were fansites are no longer aloud sell V.I.P which is extremly stupid and unfair of sulake. If all habbo fansites shut down habbo would be put out of business. Lets be logical about this without habbo fansites there would be no were as near as many visitors as habbo gets today. I do apologise for being off topic but it just irritates me how fansites bring the business to sulake and then they treat them like ****.

[Black_Apalachi]

Yes, I believe this place's radio does not have a license. This issue was raised when they were actually contacted by authorities a few months back. Easily afford it? I'm told that this place is ran at a loss or a bare minimum of profit. He doesn't live on this website.

Sierk? Yes, I know. Although I believe the loss/bare minimum of profit is after all expenses (domain/hosting/radio etc).

[Kevin]

I really don't understand sulake, fansites have to pay for a broadcasting licence. The majority of the habbo fansites are being run by teenagers, were are teenagers going to get money for this? What I don't understand about habbo is a few months back they enforced a new rule were fansites are no longer aloud sell V.I.P which is extremly stupid and unfair of sulake. If all habbo fansites shut down habbo would be put out of business. Lets be logical about this without habbo fansites there would be no were as near as many visitors as habbo gets today. I do apologise for being off topic but it just irritates me how fansites bring the business to sulake and then they treat them like ****.

The reason sulake stopped fansites from selling VIP was because the people were potentially spending there money on fansites, and not buying credits (what habbo want you to do), although this is an unfair decision, it generates more income for sulake.

Habbo would not be put out of business without habbo fansites? There are millions of visits to habbo each day, only a small minority of which visit habbo fansites.

Habbo fansites do not bring the majority of business, advertisement and word of mouth does, habbo could easily operate without fansites, infact it would be probably easyer for them to do so as they don't have to keep an eye on the official ones.

a message to the op:

grow some balls, they say your not allowed to download music illegally, and I bet you the majority of this forum, and the majority of the world does.

Bet's that your only young, what's the most that they can do? contact your host for suspension?

[PatrickMS]

tbh the whole licence thing has just gone out of hand since it started. It has been closing alot of habbo fansites down which isnt good, but PPLUK just expect teenagers to pay that much money? its just stupid

Thank god for the http://www.pirateparty.org.uk

[Swimo]

apparently if your radio is hosted au/registered address is in au
you don't need a radio license, thats why habbox don't have one, its registered to an address in AU apprently (im not sure).