Proceeding contribution from Lord Howard of Rising (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Monday, 8 February 2010. It occurred during Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bill on Digital Economy Bill [HL].

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

The lack of detail in the Bill regarding the money issue is worrying. The Government have indicated that the matter will be resolved by consultation. However, as earlier provisions in the Bill show, when it comes to the fair division of costs and revenues, sometimes there is no agreement. If there is a deep and irreconcilable conflict between copyright owners and wannabe licensees, the Secretary of State will have to pick a middle ground. Can the Minister give us any more details of what sort of principles the Government will follow when passing regulations in this area? Who will ensure that the administration costs charged by the licensing bodies are fair and not excessive? Will there be any process of checking that royalties are being collected and retained properly? How long does the Minister think that bodies should be required to hold on to those royalties?

Secondary information

Type: Proceeding contribution
Reference: 717 c572
Session: 2009-10
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Children Codes of practice Computer networks Copyright Digital broadcasting British Board of Film Classification Communication Licensing Emergency services Libraries Internet Ofcom Radio frequencies Radio Public lending right Local broadcasting Young people Regulation Safety Video games Classification schemes Streaming
Legislation: Digital Economy Bill (HL) 2009-10
Link: View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

Secondary information

Librarians' tools