Habbo Hut Radio TOTALLY ILLEGAL ?

[samlupton]

Does this "Radio Station" have the correct licencing to be broadcasting copyrighted music material on the internet. ? I believe the answer to this question is no for a number of reasons ;


1.These lincences cost up to £2000 for one month, i doubt that the managers of this fansite will be able to fund that cost.

2. If you did have a licence you would be required to display the licencing company (PPL and / or MCPS) logo on your site, there is no company logo on the site.

3.The station is not listen on any legal site directory !

It is ILLEGAL to broadcast copyrighted music (Any music available through record sales or download sites) across the internet without a licence or written permission from the copyright holders (The artists or record company). Some people argue that if you use programs such as shoutcast and Oddcast to broadcast you dont need this licence, you do ! Shoutcast and other services like it only supply a streaming service, they do not cover your broadcasting licence.

If you are broadcasting without a licence you can get fined up to £5000 or even prison. I suggest you aquire these licences or crease broadcasting copyrighted material on this station. If you require more information on licences and legal broadcasting information please contact me via sam@offthechartradio.co.uk . Or visit the licence authority websites at http://www.ppluk.com/ or http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/ for more legal information on internet radio broadcasting and to get a internet broadcasting licence.

It isnt long before the licencing companies discover this live stream and shut the station down. i'm trying to help you guys hear, please use this advice wisley.

Yours

Sam Lupton

[Josh]

If this WAS illegal it would not still be up & running for the 4 years of broadcasting !! <Is it 4 years ?>

[OmegaMan]

I doubt you've worked in professional business if you can't spell professional correctly. Or numerous other simple words....

We do appreciate your concern, but we are completely aware of all broadcasting laws and have the proper jurisdiction to be broadcasting. As long as you don't make money, which we don't, then a license is not required.

For example, here (launch.yahoo.com) is yahoo's free music video sharing site. You will notice the absence of just about everything you mentioned above. GO and try to take down Yahoo, a corporate giant, and then come and complain about our legality.

[djtruefitt]

habbohuts server is in canada, so Yes i think the licence is to do with canada, thats why Becs is incharge and lots of ca things happen with it.

[Enom]

Trying to turn this thread into a good thread..

I think this is a very good thread for those wanting to start online radio's too so they can work out whether its legal to just setup a shoutcast server one day and start "DJ'ing". I seem to be reading a variety of different things. Personally, I feel the copyrght/music industry is not going to shut down Kids fan sites making no profit as that will give themselfs a very bad name, however I am busting my brains over this. Someone said "A license is required if you are a company making a profit".. However, profit or not, if you created a song and someone else took it and broadcasted it over the internet for free, wouldn't you be annoyed?

In the UK I looked up the copyright laws and infact this applies to Europe. I know this is not anything to do with Canada, but this may help those based in the UK :-


A copyright is given automatically to all music and literatures you make, even if this is not noted as copyright at the time. A copyright restricts the ability:

to copy the work

to issue copies of the work to the public

to rent or lend the work to the public

to perform, show or play the work in public

to communicate the work to the public*

to make an adaptation of the work or do any of the above in relation to an adaptation

*includes broadcasting, broadcasting on demand and use of music on the Internet
interactive services, including satellite and cable transmissions.

No-one can authorise any of the above acts without the copyright owner’s permission.

Generally the author of a work (described in the Act as the ‘person who creates it’) is the first owner of any copyright in the work. However, since copyright is a form of property, the author can transfer the whole or part of his copyright in a work to another party (such as PRS or a publisher), so the author of the work is not necessarily the copyright owner.


Therefore, I suggest that running online radios is illegal, but it isn't doing the music industry much harm, infact probably more good as it prevents peeps downloading music illegally and encourages their artists songs! Hence why many online radio's still run without being shutdown, so on that note.. Anyone complaining about it being illegal, I doubt your complaint will go any further than the junkmail of copyright owners, if your lucky! :)

I hope this helps,

James

[djtruefitt]

its been brought up before that they do have a licence, and its to do with Canada lawas, because they are based in Canada and the server is in canada, I mean other wise why would famous people go to Habbo and talk on habbohut? Ill try get in touch with wormatty and get him to say something.

[Jamie]

Baile has basically made the point and so have alot of people in this thread. HabboHut Radio is a legal station. Would recording artists jeporside there future by beeing intervieweded on an illegal stream?

All the DJ's buy there music legally so only legally obtained music is played on the air

You are not allowed to give out email adresses on the board anyway so the MOD's will come down on you for that

HabboHuts server is in canada and i think falls under Canidan Law. I suppouse worMatty will check this thread out eventually

[worMatty]

The HabboHut server is located in Canada which has no laws against broadcasting copyrighted material on the internet.

Thank you for your offer of assistance, Sam. Please don't take the comments of the users seriously, they do not speak for this organisation and only one of them had the sense to notify me of this thread. They are kids, after all.

And in reply to the comments of those that said 'I don't think kids broadcasting music will be shut down', you are mistaken, as those are some of the groups that will be targeted the most.

[TCBSGirl]

The HabboHut server is located in Canada which has no laws against broadcasting copyrighted material on the internet.

that's why we can download music right?

[ProSpider]

^^ I believe your not allowed to download music and play it.

But Canadians like me, are allowed to download and listen to copyrighted music. Joy.

[djtruefitt]

if it is legaly owned you can play it, As if its nor legaly downloaded, you are playing music that isnt yours. think thats worldwide law

[Skids2020]

Yes well your breaking a copyright just by putting it on your computer and burning a disk of the CD because the record compaines aren't making money when you do that and thats why Napster had to shut down in the first place was because of that...AND if you want to be that technical...go to Habbaz and all the other radio stations that stream copyrighted music and post it on there too... >:(

[agifofo]

that's why we can download music right?
Just because HabboHut is hosted in canada doesent mean you can download copyrighted music.
All you do is listen to it. Its like this
"I am listening to Habbohut"
"now that gives me random power to download and listen to copyrightes music!"
"*Downloads*"

[Skids2020]

Just because HabboHut is hosted in canada doesent mean you can download copyrighted music.
All you do is listen to it. Its like this
"I am listening to Habbohut"
"now that gives me random power to download and listen to copyrightes music!"
"*Downloads*"
lmao...hey save some bandwith for me to download copyrighted music...lol

[Pennymandude]

in canada, it is legal to download copyrighted music, using say, something like '********' or 'Kazaa', it is not legally obtained, so it cannot be played on the air, when however you rip songs from cds onto your computer = legally obtained, it may be played on the air, there I just said what everybody else is saying, just to bring it up again, maybe someone will read it this time

[:.:Numark:.:]

i could probably base the server on my mums lower school servers and it wold be Legal to stream becuase most schools (like this one) has a License to play music at discos and in assemblys etc...

Its like these organisations saying: 'Right Schools are no longer allowed to play music at discos or assembleys' - No that is just stupid!

[worMatty]

I doubt it.

[Flaxion]

Well. Many of you are talking about that Canada has some sort of law that its okay to stream music without paying anything.

Uhm. I have to be honest and say that I dont believe it. I tried to call KODA which controls the licenses in Denmark (I'm from denmark so...) and he told me that Canada doesn't have a law like that.

I want to see a link to a goverment website where I can see this law. Its not only good for you to do because of me, my opinion about this wont ever have any effect on what is going to happen with your radio, but there are LOTS of people that thinks that HabboHut is "totally illegal" and is that a good roumer to have?

Good, then please go get this link so your roumer can be better.

[worMatty]

Hi, Flaxion.

There is no law that says it's okay to stream music. We can stream music because it is not disallowed by Canadian law.

I can assure you that HabboHut's operation is legal. It's been checked out by Sulake.

[Flaxion]

Hi, Flaxion.

There is no law that says it's okay to stream music. We can stream music because it is not disallowed by Canadian law.

I can assure you that HabboHut's operation is legal. It's been checked out by Sulake.

Cool.

Well. I own one of the most popular danish fansites, and I'm thinking about getting a radio to the site, but there are laws against it in denmark. But then I thought.. If I get an canadian server it should be the canadian laws that counts.. Like a danish tv-channel did when denmark got a law against poker advertising...

[StreetDog]

Hi

Im working at the same Fan site as Flaxion.
And we would like to know were you guys host your radio.

Is it a site over in candian, or is it you self?

Ill like to know ;)

//StreetDog - HabboHotel Denmark!

[worMatty]

Our server is hosted by a company named NetNation (http://www.netnation.ca).

[Flaxion]

Okay thank you.

Um I just found out about Loudcity.com ... If I get an American server.. can I then use loudcity.com and then be legal?

Habbohut radio can only be illegal. Cause no matter what there is international laws that says you have to pay to do a radio.

Make some ressearch about it yourself, I'm too tired to write it all for you.

[OmegaMan]

We -do- pay.

End of story.
Have a nice day.

[djtruefitt]

its been explained time and time again, read through the past posts, the radio is legal and even wormatty explained it, and habbo hotel canada a big company, with sulake, promote it.

[Rob]

Let me set this straight.

In Canada. It is legal to stream copyrighted music. Like, bought music. Legally.

In Canada, and US, it is illegal to download music, pirate music, and stream it.

[Unquestionable]

I shall speak... for months I have been using a legal program to get copyrighted music for free... and because I really cannot be bothered to explain it I will let Cnet do it for me. Why am I posting it? Because it has information about broadcasting radio ;)


A new twist on file sharing is holding out the promise of allowing millions of people to share their song collections online, at no cost--and without legal risk.

The trick involves marrying peer-to-peer technology with Internet radio. Using that combination, some companies are creating powerful tools that automatically broadcast people's private playlists onto the Web. The output is then pulled together into a searchable database that lets listeners find the music they want, when they want it.

Safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized downloads, ensuring copyrights are honored. But if the technology behind the networks keeps improving and the number of people using them keeps growing, the services could one day turn into something akin to free, on-demand request radio.

Few companies have staked out this territory yet. A handful of pioneers--including Apple Computer, Virgin Digital and upstarts Mercora and Live 365--are just beginning to see demand.

Apple lets users of its iTunes music jukebox software share playlists that are streamed them over a local area network. By contrast, Mercora runs a Web-based network of roughly 8,000 broadcasters worldwide. Those broadcasters devise their own playlists, which are served up to 175,000 to 200,000 listeners connected over the Internet.

Mercora's software also automatically streams music from an individual's hard drive, making each member of the network a broadcaster.

"We're doing for music what Google did for the Web," Mercora CEO Srivats Sampath said.

Peer-to-peer radio is the latest step in a long line of efforts to turn the Web into an on-demand jukebox without running afoul of copyright law. In the past, such projects have caused tension with record industry executives, who turned to the courts to shut down Napster and are now bringing lawsuits against individual file swappers.

Those legal worries have been less evident in the Net radio sphere. Still, the music industry has taken steps to rein in interactive services that might sap CD and digital download sales.

During the dot-com boom, companies such as Launch Media and Musicmatch (both now owned by Yahoo) and MTVi all vied to create interactive radio services. These provided substantial listener control, which ultimately lead to legal fights with the record industry.

New copyright fight?
Most interactive Net radio services are now subscription-based, which allows a different set of legal rules to be observed. Leading examples of these services include RealNetworks-owned Rhapsody and Napster's all-you-can-eat streaming service.

Newer software lets people listen to what others are broadcasting from their hard drives, locally or internationally, thereby increasing variety.

The most widely used is Apple's iTunes, which originally let people browse and listen to each others' music collections over the open Internet. Later, it limited this feature to local networks.

Initially, Mercora said it expected to sell music via a download service resembling that of Apple's iTunes Music Store. The switch to an Internet broadcast network allowed the company to take advantage of the distinct manner in which the law treats music streamed on the Internet.

Broadcasting fees are set by the U.S. Copyright Office rather than by the record labels and are relatively cheap--they come to about 1/7th of a penny per listener, or about $1,429 per million people. As a result, Mercora says it can afford to pay the fee on behalf of the broadcasters on its network, with the cost offset through advertising sales.

"The big nut we had to crack is how to do this legally," Sampath said. "The law says you can broadcast as long as you pay. Fine, we will pay you."

In the end, this creates a beneficial symbiotic relationship between all the parties. Home broadcasters get a creative outlet, but they don't personally incur any broadcasting fees. For its part, Mercora can function like a broadcaster or cable network, with future revenue coming from selling ad space and subscription services. But it doesn't have to buy or maintain a content library, unlike a regular media network. It does, however, have to spend money on maintaining a bank of servers.

The benefit for listeners is access to music at no cost. Right now, users only have to download the software to join the network and canlisten for free. In the future, Mercora may charge subscription fees for some services, said Sampath, who became a noted name in the tech industry years ago by founding the antivirus company McAfee.

What happens if listeners download broadcast music? Technically, if the legally broadcast song is for personal use only, the listener does not violate copyright law. "It's like a tape recorder," Sampath said.

If the downloader tries to sell a track or transfer it to another person, it's illegal. In future, improvements in digital rights management technology should begin to curb the ability of listeners to do this. Mercora also inserts technology into its client software to try to control the practice.

Apple has wrestled with the problem as well, issuing a series of upgrades to its iTunes software designed to disable free downloads such as MyTunes. These programs enable users to make copies of music streamed using iTunes' playlist-sharing feature.

Legal or not, Mercora's service most likely will draw the scrutiny of the music industry. The Recording Industry Association of America has already raised concerns about a PC radio receiver marketed by XM Satellite Radio, which enabled consumers to download broadcasted songs onto a computer when used with a third-party software application. XM subsequently pulled the device.

The RIAA has also fought, albeit often unsuccessfully, against peer-to-peer sites where people download songs. An RIAA representative had no comment on the Mercora service.

While the potential popularity of Mercora could dent music sales, Sampath predicts that won't be the case. Not all 10 million tracks on its network are likely to stream at the same time. The ephemeral nature of radio makes it difficult to be sure that a particular song will be playing the moment a listener wants to hear it.

For now, the best Mercora listeners can do is tap into a genre or particular artist on demand. Over time, a larger network and improved search tools should let people pinpoint musical demands.

The concept for the music service owes its heritage, in part, to the dreary state of corporate-owned radio, Sampath said. Salsa and reggae account for 21 percent of record sales, for example--but good luck finding them on the radio.

"You can listen to Clear Channel in Santa Cruz, and it's the same Clear Channel in New York, and it's ****," he said.

Sampath had his own epiphany when he logged on to find music from one of his favorite acts, early-1970s medieval rockers Jethro Tull. He found eight broadcasters with Tull selections. (On the network, Sampath is living in the past. Seventy percent of Mercora's listener/broadcasters say they were born in 1979 or later.)

Legal sharing of personal playlists through radiolike features could set up a new long-term battleground between the record industry and consumers. But backers say they could also be used to create promotional opportunities for artists and record labels.

Networks promoted by Mercora or competitors like Live365 will likely become significant tastemakers for the music industry by providing a forum for public opinion, some music executives predict.

"Traditionally, radio generated 95 percent of new music sales, and digital radio is taking that same space," said Zack Zalon, president of Virgin Digital. "It takes six to eight listens for a song to become a hit in a consumer's ears."

If you put a tape in a bog-standard cassette recorder and started recording "BBC RADIO 2" you wouldn't get arrested or taken to caught for copyright infringement would you?

[worMatty]

No, but you'd have to ask their permission to mass reproduce or distribute it.

[Securitydude77]

Alrighties.. My turn :D!

In Canada, it IS illegal to BROADCAST ILLEGAL obtained music, However habbohut DJS, buy their music then RIP it onto their computer than broadcast it, therefore its a complete legal operation.

Habbohut PAYS for their radio service, and bandwidth and what not.. I'm sure they have some sort of coverage over broadcasting it too.

Besides that - Habbohut has been in operation for god knows how long, and if they haven't caught them by now, chances are, it's all LEGAL.

[worMatty]

We don't need reminding.

Thread closed.