Copyright crackdown mutes merchant music. (businesses that use music informed by Broadcast Music Inc.)

Broadcast Music Inc. last month started educating local businesses that use music in their operations.

"BMI has found a lot of businesses not familiar with U.S. copyright law," said Steven Blinn, director of media relations and licensing at the company's New York headquarters.

Federal law requires that songwriters, composers and music publishers be paid royalties on the "public performance" use of records, tapes, compact discs, music videos and karaoke songs, he said.

"Artists who create music are like small businesses -- they rely on royalty checks to pay rent, phone bills and put food on the table," Blinn said.

BMI, the world's largest copyright …