12 UK copyright collecting societies (Collective Management Organisations - CMOs) have launched an independent review of how their codes of conduct are working.
The British Copyright Council developed a policy framework to establish a common set of principles of good practice which provided a set of minimum terms to be used by UK CMOs. Fifteen CMOs have adopted codes of practice, including Printed Music Licensing Limited (PMLL), PRS for Music and Phonographic Performance Licensing (PPL).
The purpose of these codes was to set the standards the CMOs applied in terms of their dealings with members and licensees and in the operation of their internal governance processes and to provide members and licensees with core information about the CMOs.
In recent years, collective rights management has attracted increased attention from policymakers. The review will be undertaken by an independent reviewer who has issued a call for evidence. Details of the Review can be found on its website: http://www.independentcodereview.org.uk/