Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 September 2025
420. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a company (details supplied); the obligations Irish businesses, namely bars and restaurants, have to this company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48449/25]
View answerThe Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC) is the designated licensing body responsible for authorising the public use of audio-visual content. In general, the exhibition of such content outside a private residence constitutes a ‘public performance’ and therefore requires a licence to ensure compliance with copyright law.
The legal framework governing copyright protection in Ireland is set out in the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, as amended. Under Section 37(1)(b) of the Act, the copyright holder retains the exclusive right to make their work available to the public, which includes the right to perform, show, or play a copy of the work in a public setting.
Furthermore, Section 40(4) of the Act stipulates that where a person provides facilities that are used to infringe copyright and has been notified of such infringement by the copyright owner, that person may also be held liable if they fail to remove the infringing material in a timely manner.
It is important to note that while this Department is responsible for the development of copyright policy and legislation, it does not have a role in enforcement or monitoring. Allegations of copyright infringement are considered civil matters and must be pursued directly by the rights holder through the courts.
