Compulsory licence (copyright) meaning

In practice, a compulsory copyright licence allows a user to carry out restricted acts (such as copying or communication to the public) without the rightholder’s consent because legislation requires a licence to be granted on specified terms, typically with payment of reasonable remuneration. It is a statutory mechanism, not a general common-law doctrine, and is available only in defined circumstances. Across the UK (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 provides for statutory licensing schemes and tribunal oversight. The Copyright Tribunal can settle terms, vary schemes and, in effect, require licensing where consent is unreasonably withheld, where works are being withheld from the public, or to address anti-competitive effects or abuse of monopoly power. In Ireland, comparable statutory provisions under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 create licensing schemes with dispute resolution before the competent authority. Usage is broadly consistent, though the detailed conditions and procedures differ between jurisdictions. Key features include: non-exclusive effect; entitlement to equitable remuneration; terms set by statute, tribunal or collecting society; and narrow, strictly construed scope. Compulsory licensing is distinct from voluntary collective licensing and from statutory exceptions. It is of practical significance in sectors such as broadcasting, cable...