As reported in P2PNet, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is trying to extort money from hairdressers:

SOCAN, “wanted to gouge health practicioners while their patients relaxed to the sound of music,” p2pnet posted in 2004. Then they turned to denists in what was a, “money grab,” as Dr Jack Cotrell of the Canadian Dental Association called it.

Now SOCAN, short for Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, is zeroing in on hair dressers with a ‘pay up or face legal action’ message.

“Hairdressers happen to utilize music quite frequently and so currently, we are targeting hairdressing salons to educate them on the fact that they do require a licence if they are using music,” Serge Boutros, “a SOCAN customer operations manager,” told the CBC.

As a producer of children’s television series I have benefitted from the SOCAN royalties collected on the songs and music used in our shows. It can be a significant source of revenue for production companies. I like that SOCAN sticks up for the rights of artists and publishers.

But this is just fucking embarrassing.

It was bad enough when they started twisting arms of small store owners, saying they couldn’t play music in their stores without paying royalties. Now doctors and hairdressers?

I think it’s time for all the legal assholes out there to realize that there are benfits to giving away product and property; that it can actually enhance sales; that it enriches our lives beyond the money grubbing collection of nickels and dimes.

Do I want to be paid for my creative work? You bet your ass I do. Do I want a strong organization representing my rights and assisting in the collection of revenues? Fuckin’ A, Bubba. Do I want to be associated with a group that threatens hairdressers and doctors? Not on yer frickin’ life, pal. Our “business society” (and I don’t just mean SOCAN here) has gone too far in the determination that everything can be owned, everything has a price and everyone must pay. Common sense and common decency are suffering from the same neglect as common property. It disgusts me to no end. This has to stop.

Maybe I’ll write a song about it and give it away. You can hum along the next time you get a haircut.

Cheers.