The PRS have finally left the planet

The string-arm tactics trying to get companies to pay for public performance licences if customers could hear music bleeding through from a back room made the PRS look stupid.

But their latest campaign gives the air of an organisation which could very well be sectionable. They're telling garage owners they need a licence if customers drive in with their car radios on.

No, really:

Mr Attwood, who has run Motor Maintenance for 31 years, added: "The PRS phoned up and said, 'do you have any form of music entertainment on the premises?'

"I said customers bring their vehicles in with their radios on and while we are working on them the radio is playing. But other than that no.

"The woman said she would get back to me. She came back with her supervisor who said I would have to turn the car radios off but I said we didn't like to tamper with the customers' settings.

"She said, 'in that case, you will have to tell them to turn them off before they come in'.

"I just think it's ridiculous."

Well, yes.

The PRS tells the Telegraph that it tries to use "common sense" in circumstances like this; they don't provide any example of when they might have done this, and the paper doesn't ask.