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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, I confess to considerable ignorance of the copyright laws, but a basic problem with the whole copyright business is that copyright is, in the main, about the use of something in a particular country, whereas the internet is international and therefore spreads across the world. There are differences in copyright law between, for instance, the United States of America and us, along with other parts of Europe. I do not know what difference that makes in relation to the Bill, but it is possible that it does. The Beatles were the most popular British band ever, but I gather that their copyright is now held by interests in the United States. Does that make any difference to the way in which Beatles music can be downloaded by individuals in this country? I hope that the Minister will take the opportunity to make clear the differences between the two countries and how they might affect the operation of this Bill.