The Intellectual Property Office is asking music business trade associations whether they think the UK's Copyright Tribunal is now operating efficiently.
The Tribunal exists to rule on various copyright disputes, in particular on royalty disputes in relation to licences music owners are forced to make available under law.
Various new measures have been introduced in recent years to make the Tribunal better equipped to deal with modern copyright issues, and now the IPO is asking the likes of PRS, PPL and UK Music whether they feel those measures have worked. The trade bodies need to submit their views by July.
In sort of related news, record label trade body the BPI last week said it strongly opposed proposals that the new Digital Rights Agency proposed in the recent 'Digital Britain' report have a role in setting royalty rates, in theory taking some responsibility away from the Tribunal. In its submission to another government consultation, they said they "strongly opposed" such an Agency having price setting powers.
As previously reported, the BPI isn't that keen on the idea of a Digital Rights Agency at all, fearing the establishment of such a body would be used to delay introducing new rules to combat online piracy.