Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Free public showing or playing of broadcast or cable programme

18(1)The showing or playing in public of a broadcast or cable programme to an audience who have not paid for admission to the place where the broadcast or programme is to be seen or heard does not infringe any right conferred by Part II in relation to a performance or recording included in—

(a)the broadcast or cable programme, or

(b)any sound recording or film which is played or shown in public by reception of the broadcast or cable programme.

(2)The audience shall be treated as having paid for admission to a place—

(a)if they have paid for admission to a place of which that place forms part; or

(b)if goods or services are supplied at that place (or a place of which it forms part)—

(i)at prices which are substantially attributable to the facilities afforded for seeing or hearing the broadcast or programme, or

(ii)at prices exceeding those usually charged there and which are partly attributable to those facilities.

(3)The following shall not be regarded as having paid for admission to a place—

(a)persons admitted as residents or inmates of the place;

(b)persons admitted as members of a club or society where the payment is only for membership of the club or society and the provision of facilities for seeing or hearing broadcasts or programmes is only incidental to the main purposes of the club or society.

(4)Where the making of the broadcast or inclusion of the programme in a cable programme service was an infringement of the rights conferred by Part II in relation to a performance or recording, the fact that it was heard or seen in public by the reception of the broadcast or programme shall be taken into account in assessing the damages for that infringement.

(5)Expressions used in this paragraph have the same meaning as in section 72.