The Digital Economy Bill returns to the Lords on Monday 8th March to continue its Report stage hearing. A lengthy list of new amendments to S42 has just been published at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldbills/032/amend/ml03...

Major changes to S42 include:

144 (Lord Razzall) Amendment to remove S42

168 (Lord Lucas) Amendment to create a fair dealing exception for copying of an extract that links by URL to the original

168A, 168B (Lord Clement-Jones) Amendment to make metadata contain enforceable conditions of supply. (One might be "you may not remove or alter this metadata"). Also an offence to make or supply software or devices that strips metadata

The above are only summary assessments. 168A in particular is a long and complex amendment that may have unintended or unenforceable consequences. Please refer to the full text of the amendments for more accurate and complete information at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldbills/032/amend/ml03...

EPUK is issuing a further briefing to supportive Lords over the weekend, which will be published here on Monday.

It should be a crucial and interesting debate. Whatever emerges is likely to be the final shape of the Bill that will be fast-tracked through the Commons.