#!/usr/bin/perl;

use HTML::Entities;

$to_decode = "TEST&TEST;A&E&an HTML--- string - <© TVS>";
#$decoded = decode_entities($to_decode);
$encoded = encode_entities($to_decode);

print "To decode --> $to_decode\n";
print "Encoded data --> $encoded\n";

##</code><code>##

To decode --> TEST&TEST;A&E&an&nbsp;HTML---&nbsp;string - &lt;&copy; TVS&gt;
Encoded data --> TEST&amp;TEST;A&amp;E&amp;an&amp;nbsp;HTML---&amp;nbsp;string - &amp;lt;&amp;copy; TVS&amp;gt;