Buyer Name: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
Buyer Address: Waterloo General Office, London, UKI45, SE1 8SW, United Kingdom
Contact Name: Edward Mayhew
Contact Email: edward.mayhew@networkrail.co.uk
Buyer Name: NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
Buyer Address: Waterloo General Office, London, UKI45, SE1 8SW, United Kingdom
Contact Name: Edward Mayhew
Contact Email: edward.mayhew@networkrail.co.uk
The Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC) provides a Blanket Licence that legally authorises the public performance of copyrighted audiovisual works—films, TV programmes, streaming clips, and training videos—in non-domestic environments. This is required under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, particularly after the 2016 amendment to Section 72, which removed exemptions for films in public settings. Purpose and Legal Requirement The licence ensures compliance for organisations showing audiovisual content in workplaces, stations, depots, or staff areas. Activities such as streaming YouTube or TED Talks during safety briefings, or displaying news feeds on office TVs, count as public performance and require MPLC licensing. Other licences like TV Licence or PRS/PPL do not cover these uses.
No linked documents found for this notice.
Lot 1 Status: complete
Lot 1 SME Suitable: Yes
Document Description: Not published
Award Title: Blanket Audio-visual Copyright Licence
{
"awards": [
{
"aboveThreshold": true,
"contractPeriod": {
"endDate": "2030-09-30T23:59:59+01:00",
"startDate": "2025-12-15T00:00:00+00:00"
},
"documents": [
{
"datePublished": "2025-11-25T15:14:31Z",
"description": "Transparency notice on Find a Tender",
"documentType": "awardNotice",
"format": "text/html",
"id": "076945-2025",
"noticeType": "UK5",
"url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076945-2025"
}
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"id": "1",
"items": [
{
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"description": "Patent and copyright consultancy services",
"id": "79120000",
"scheme": "CPV"
}
],
"deliveryAddresses": [
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"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"region": "UK"
}
],
"id": "1",
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"milestones": [
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"dueDate": "2025-12-15T23:59:59+00:00",
"id": "1",
"status": "scheduled",
"type": "futureSignatureDate"
}
],
"relatedLots": [
"1"
],
"status": "pending",
"suppliers": [
{
"id": "GB-COH-08087372",
"name": "MOTION PICTURE LICENSING COMPANY LIMITED"
}
],
"title": "Blanket Audio-visual Copyright Licence",
"value": {
"amount": 864138.4,
"amountGross": 1036966.08,
"currency": "GBP"
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"id": "GB-PPON-PNZN-9524-VCQJ",
"name": "NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED"
},
"date": "2025-11-25T15:14:31Z",
"id": "076945-2025",
"initiationType": "tender",
"language": "en",
"ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-05e891",
"parties": [
{
"address": {
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"locality": "London",
"postalCode": "SE1 8SW",
"region": "UKI45",
"streetAddress": "Waterloo General Office"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "edward.mayhew@networkrail.co.uk",
"name": "Edward Mayhew"
},
"details": {
"classifications": [
{
"description": "Public authority - central government",
"id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
"scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
}
],
"url": "https://www.networkrail.co.uk/"
},
"id": "GB-PPON-PNZN-9524-VCQJ",
"identifier": {
"id": "PNZN-9524-VCQJ",
"scheme": "GB-PPON"
},
"name": "NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED",
"roles": [
"buyer"
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},
{
"address": {
"country": "GB",
"countryName": "United Kingdom",
"locality": "Eastbourne",
"postalCode": "BN21 4SA",
"region": "UKJ22",
"streetAddress": "MPLC House, 22-24 Gildredge Road"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "ukinfo@mplc.com",
"telephone": "01323 649647"
},
"details": {
"scale": "sme",
"vcse": false
},
"id": "GB-COH-08087372",
"identifier": {
"id": "08087372",
"scheme": "GB-COH"
},
"name": "MOTION PICTURE LICENSING COMPANY LIMITED",
"roles": [
"supplier"
]
}
],
"tag": [
"award",
"contract"
],
"tender": {
"description": "The Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC) provides a Blanket Licence that legally authorises the public performance of copyrighted audiovisual works\u2014films, TV programmes, streaming clips, and training videos\u2014in non-domestic environments. This is required under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, particularly after the 2016 amendment to Section 72, which removed exemptions for films in public settings.\nPurpose and Legal Requirement\nThe licence ensures compliance for organisations showing audiovisual content in workplaces, stations, depots, or staff areas.\nActivities such as streaming YouTube or TED Talks during safety briefings, or displaying news feeds on office TVs, count as public performance and require MPLC licensing.\nOther licences like TV Licence or PRS/PPL do not cover these uses.",
"documents": [
{
"description": "Not published",
"documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
"id": "conflictOfInterest"
}
],
"id": "project_44719",
"legalBasis": {
"id": "2023/54",
"scheme": "UKPGA",
"uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
},
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"status": "complete",
"suitability": {
"sme": true
}
}
],
"procurementMethod": "direct",
"procurementMethodDetails": "Direct award",
"procurementMethodRationale": "Exclusive Rights \u2013 Sole Supplier\nMPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Company) is the only provider of the blanket licence for public performance of films and TV content in non-domestic settings under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - No alternative suppliers offer equivalent coverage.\nLegal Obligation\nSince the 2016 amendment to Section 72 CDPA, exemptions for film broadcasts in public spaces were removed. Organisations like Network Rail must hold an MPLC licence to avoid copyright infringement.\nThis is a statutory requirement, similar to a TV licence, making competitive tendering irrelevant because the licence is a legal necessity",
"procurementMethodRationaleClassifications": [
{
"id": "singleSuppliersIntellectualPropertyExclusiveRights"
},
{
"id": "singleSuppliersTechnicalReasons"
}
],
"specialRegime": [
"utilities"
],
"status": "complete",
"title": "Blanket Audio-visual Copyright Licence"
}
}