Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)ESTEPONA town hall has been fined almost 20,000 euros for playing recorded music at ferias without paying royalties.
A Malaga judge ruled in favour of the Spanish intellectual property rights agency (SGAE) in the dispute concerning public events and ferias between 2005 and 2007.
Already struggling with mountains of unpaid debts, the 18,966.68 euros fine is the last thing the council needs.
Mayor David Valadez described the decision as “a blow” for the town’s funds.
The town hall has racked up an estimated 40 million euros of debts over the last year in unpaid bills to suppliers.
That’ll teach the sods for stopping the bars playing their own music during the Feria! And we all thought it was “paid for” music, making it legal!