How to Start & Run a B&B BandBED2eBook-1 | Page 39

The following is from the Filmbank website:
Screening films without a licence is an infringement of copyright law. It is a civil, and in
some cases, criminal offence to show a film in this manner without the permission of
the copyright owner (the film studios) or their representatives (the licensing bodies).
What is the DVD Concierge Licence?
The DVD Concierge Licence is an annual licence payable on a per room basis. The
licence will permit properties to operate DVD film libraries for guest use, whether
guests are using DVD players, lap tops, games consoles or other portable devices.
Properties will be able to hold an unlimited number of DVDs from the represented
studios covered by the licence.
The DVD Concierge Licence is an annual licence based on the number of guest rooms in
the property, however a seasonal licence is also available for properties open for a
period of 8 months or less. With the DVD Concierge licence you will be covered for the
use of films from many of the major Hollywood and independent studios.
For further information on the DVD Concierge Licence call 020 7984 5954 or go to the
Filmbank website at www.filmbank.co.uk and look for “DVD Concierge Licence”.
Licensing (for alcohol)
The question of whether to offer drinks to guests is a big decision. If you offer evening
meals on a regular basis, then obtaining a licence will almost certainly be worthwhile as
many people will want drinks – especially wine - with their dinner, and this will be a
viable source of additional profit to the “restaurant” area of your business.
For the traditional B&B serving no meals except breakfast, it is not such a clear-cut
decision.
The benefits are that potentially, serving alcoholic drinks may become a profitable
sideline, and that being licensed may attract more clients.
Less obviously but very usefully, it allows you to use promotions like the
“complimentary half-bottle of champagne with every four night booking” that we
mentioned earlier. It is worth repeating that, whatever you may have understood up
to now, it is illegal for B&Bs to give alcoholic drinks away free, unless they are
licensed. This is because caselaw has established that there is no such thing as a “free”
drink provided by a business – it always represents part of value paid for in other ways
by a customer. When you think about it, this is logical because otherwise, for instance,
you could sell peanuts for £4 and give a “free” glass of wine, and never need a licence.
A further advantage is that it may open up profitable sidelines like private functions,
where much of the profit comes from the alcoholic drinks consumed.