Sour note: Hotelier faces hefty copyright fee for posting music clip

A well-known singer and hotel owner in Samut Prakan shared an alarming experience involving a hefty copyright fee after posting a live music performance clip online. This incident sparked a significant discussion on social media.

Kittiphan Leesatruapai, also known as Nath Leatana, owns a hotel in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan. He recently shared his story on TikTok to warn other restaurant musicians about the consequences of copyright infringement. Kittiphan revealed that he was sued for copyright violations, resulting in a substantial financial penalty.

He recounted that the issue began mid-last year when he was notified of a copyright infringement for performing a Thai song, Thon Tua. The notification did not come from the artists themselves but from an intermediary claiming to represent them.

Kittiphan managed to settle the issue for 50,000 baht, although the initial demand was in the hundreds of thousands. He deleted all copyrighted songs from his social media channels and ensured that only songs with proper licenses were played live or in his restaurant.

He explained that about a month after resolving the first case, the same individual returned, this time with a list of ten songs. Each song came with a demand for a 100,000 baht copyright fee. The person claimed to be authorised by the songwriters to collect these fees.

Kittiphan expressed his frustration, noting that these were songs he had enjoyed and performed since his youth. When he started his hotel and restaurant, his band initially did not perform many old songs. However, over the past two years, they began incorporating these tracks into their performances, believing they had the proper licenses for in-house performances.

Unfortunately, he was unaware that posting clips of these performances on social media constituted another form of copyright infringement.

Despite the financial burden, he acknowledged that this experience has made him more knowledgeable about copyright issues. Kittiphan’s experience highlights the complexities of copyright laws and the potential pitfalls for musicians and business owners, reported KhaoSod.