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Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, half the thought behind Amendment 154 leaps ahead to Clause 42. Under new Section 116B in Clause 42, the Government talk about copyright licensing agencies and the idea that material can become freely available, but that you have to pay the copyright licensing agency, as is the case with music performance. No one stops a person performing, but if they do perform, they have to pay a fee. Given the fact that someone is having a technical obligation imposed on them, it seems that they might choose to pay a fee to such an agency, which would go to relevant copyright holders. Terminating, suspending or limiting someone’s internet access just does someone harm. But if, for an equivalent harm, some good could be done at the same time, that seems to be a reasonable idea. I beg to move.