Music Royalties, UK law

[Goblinz]

I'm getting involved with putting on an area at a small Uk music festival.

We're having DJ slots on an evening, but during the day/mornign we're doing "vagrant disco". Basically somebody turns up with a CD and the DJ will play it.

Having spoken to the festival organiser he's not sure if we can do this... He mentioned something about asking the bands whoa re playing not to do covers so he doesn't have to pay royalies, but he's already got a dance tent/DJ's sorted.

Does anybody know if playing a CD belonging to somebody else at a festival will incur royalites? Obviously we'd have to mention to people that they must either let us use an original CD, or preferentially provide us with a copy of an original CD that they own.

[Therezin]

I'm not too hot on this one myself, but I think the people you need to speak to are the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society / Performing Rights Society (www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk).

++++ EDIT: ++++

Yeah, thought so:

Any music which is played outside the domestic or home life is regarded as a public performance.  The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 means that if you use copyright music in public to lawfully do so you require the permission of the copyright owner for every piece of music that is being performed.

From http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/playingbroadcastingonline/live_venues_events/festivals/Pages/festivals.aspx

[Goblinz]

Found a bit on PRS licensing. The festival should have this anyway as they have live bands on. I think there's a PLL license that you need for Dj's/Dancing but am unsure whther he'll already have this for the bands. Basically we have been given an area to use but only if it doesn't cost the gy who's running things too much.