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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, these are less important amendments than the previous one, but nevertheless of significance. The purpose of these amendments is to clarify that legislation is in respect of allegations of copyright infringement and that this is not some sort of open and closed issue in terms of copyright evidence. The information obtained by copyright owners, and in a sense laid before ISPs, is allegations of breach of copyright, not infringements in themselves. I think the wording of the Act—we have set out a number of amendments where they are appropriate—should be changed as there needs to be a full understanding that it is only a first step. These are allegations; they are not proof in themselves of copyright infringement. Amendments 36 and 37, also in this group, are very similar. A wide degree of judgment seems to be available to the copyright owner. In our view, it should be narrowed. Therefore: ""In the reasonable opinion of"," seems to us to be a sensible addition to those provisions. I beg to move.