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The government is launching a consultation on the idea of certain copyright law exemptions in relation to recorded music being played in public.
The proposed changes are designed to allow not-for-profit and charitable organisations, in certain circumstances, to play copyrighted music in public without having to pay a licence fee.
A desire to achieve the "correct balance" between the interests of music rights holders and users was behind the plans, according to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO).
The organisation said: "We are examining the dividing line between licensed use and free use and also the nature of the rights granted to copyright owners."
People who stand to benefit from the planned changes include charitable groups playing CDs or other recorded music, and not-for-profit bodies playing radio or TV broadcasts containing music, where the audience has not been charged an entry fee.
The UKIPO is now consulting until October on three possible options which include narrowing the scope of exemptions so they are only available to small charities and removing exemptions but only allowing record firms to charge royalties at rates considered fair by both them and users.
