---

Digital Economy Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Digital Economy Bill contains detailed provisions of a code of practice for licensed bodies. As currently drafted, it only provides obligations for a licensing body without any reference to licensees. Collective licensing is a commercial relationship between the licensing body and licensees. Given the nature of the relationship, obligations of the licensing body to licensees should be reflected by respective obligations of licensees to the licensing body, such as respecting the rights of creators, performers and rights holders and in particular, the right to receive fair payment for the use and exploitation of copyright material. Any code of practice should also oblige licensees to adhere to the terms of the licence and more broadly the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and other applicable legislation or other binding legal requirements as established by case law, conditions or guidelines. In other words, it is a two-way process. I beg to move.