Legality of making a CD Based juke for use in a bar....

[Barry Barcrest]

Anyone know how easy it would be to get a homemade jukebox running off Original CD's licenced for use in a bar with a coin acceptor. I am assuming this is quite a bit easier than using a digital method. Anyone know anything about this? I am more interested in the US but any knowledge from other parts of the world will be nice to hear.

[shardian]

If you pay license fee's, then it should be fine. If I were you though, I would just get an op to put in a juke. Then they have to deal with all of those hassles. You just collect your portion and supply the juice.

[Barry Barcrest]

I was just going to interface a digital frontend with a 300CD Changer. It would look digital to the user but would get around the law regarding mp3's by using CD's... It's an idea i have been playing with for a while now.

[Ken Layton]

If all the music is coming from ORIGINAL (store bought) not copied (home burnt CD-r) CD's then the owner/operator of the jukebox will be required to buy the $419 yearly copyright license from the Jukebox License Office. That license will take care of the ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC rights controlled music.

To purchase the license or get more information go here:

http://www.jukeboxlicense.com/

Remember, their 'field agents' have the right to demand you open the jukebox to inspect it to see if you're using home copied cd's in there. If you are you're in big trouble. They play hardball and always win in court.

[Barry Barcrest]

If all the music is coming from ORIGINAL (store bought) not copied (home burnt CD-r) CD's then the owner/operator of the jukebox will be required to buy the $419 yearly copyright license from the Jukebox License Office. That license will take care of the ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC rights controlled music.

To purchase the license or get more information go here:

http://www.jukeboxlicense.com/

Remember, their 'field agents' have the right to demand you open the jukebox to inspect it to see if you're using home copied cd's in there. If you are you're in big trouble. They play hardball and always win in court.

WOW It's really that simple. Don't worry if i am going to the effort of interfacing a 300 CD Changer up to my juke front end i wouldn't be doing it just to run of pirated discs. I might as well just put a digital box in and hope for the best if i was going to be that stupid.

Thanks for the heads up on that, it's actually pretty straight forward then really and quite cheap. Less than a $1.50 a day.... Might have to look into actually completing this then. Thanks again Ken

[nipsmg]

That is pretty incredible.  I didn't know it could possibly be that easy.

I'm guessing that companies like TouchTunes and ECast have some kind of special licensing agreement then. 

I guess the other question is, too: Could you really get in trouble for the mp3 thing if you kept the ENTIRE catalog of ORIGINAL CD's on site with the jukebox if there was ever an infringement question?  It would just be easier to stash a small computer inside your jukebox than interface it with a 300 disc changer.

[Ken Layton]

All of the major 'digital' jukebox manufacturers have paid MILLIONS of dollars to license music libraries for their jukeboxes. Also, the major jukebox makers are the only ones licensed to use computers and/or hard disks to store/play music in commercial applications including MP3 format. This is why the stuff that cdadapter.com sells is NOT licensed for use in the USA in commercial applications.

[Barry Barcrest]

All of the major 'digital' jukebox manufacturers have paid MILLIONS of dollars to license music libraries for their jukeboxes. Also, the major jukebox makers are the only ones licensed to use computers and/or hard disks to store/play music in commercial applications including MP3 format. This is why the stuff that cdadapter.com sells is NOT licensed for use in the USA in commercial applications.

Ah.. So even if i build it to be CD based if it's still using a PC then i can't do it? All the PC Would be doing is providing the interface and managing the queue.

[Ken Layton]

You can use a computer to control the cd player mechanism. You just can't use the computer to have any music playing through the computer.

[Barry Barcrest]

Thanks again for clearing that up Ken.