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British MPS back music copyright extension
• MPs call for change to law
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 On the Web |
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By
The Minx, Music Editor
Wednesday,
16 May, 2007
British MPs have backed UK musicians’ call for an extension of the UK copyright on sound recordings to bring it into line with other countries.
A new report from the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee said British copyright laws on sound recordings must be extended beyond 50 years to prevent veteran musicians such as Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney from losing royalties in later life, a report said on Wednesday.
The issue over copyright has become a hot topic in Britain as early hits from ageing acts approach the cut-off point, just as downloading music sparks a revival for back catalogues. Under current rules, performers can earn royalties for 50 years from the end of the year when a sound recording was made.
In comparison, novelists, playwrights and composers who enjoy copyright protection for their life and 70 years afterwards. Copyright protection for performers in the United States is 95 years from release and 70 years in Australia.
Following a review by Andrew Gowers, commissioned by the government and released in December 2007, the government rejected calls to extend the protection, saying it would not benefit the industry. There were also concerns any extension would come into conflict with EU rules on copyright.
The MPs’ report, released on Wednesday released on 16th May 2007, argued that the Gowers’ report examined the situation from a purely economic point of view and had not considered the moral rights of artists to own and control their intellectual property.
"We have not heard a convincing reason why a composer and his or her heirs should benefit from a term of copyright which extends for lifetime and beyond, but a performer should not,” they said.
"Given the strength and importance of the creative industries in the UK, it seems extraordinary that the protection of intellectual property rights should be weaker here than in many other countries whose creative industries are less successful."
The committee called on the government to lobby the European Commission to extend the term to at least 70 years.
John Kennedy, the chairman of the IFPI body which represents the international recording industry, welcomed the report.
"The Select Committee has given a ringing endorsement for fair treatment of the UK music industry," he said. "It has backed two simple principles -- that UK performers must get a term of copyright protection comparable to composers and that Britain must not be left with weaker copyright protection than its international partners."
Seventy-five MPs have put their names to a motion proposed by Labour MP Michael Connarty, which states: "This House notes that 50 years ago Lonnie Donegan's Cumberland Gap was No. 1 in the charts for five weeks; is concerned that due to the present law governing payments for use of audio recordings this track will go out of copyright at the end of 2007 and that the family of Lonnie Donegan, who would have been 76 on 29 April, and the other performers will no longer receive any royalties, nor have any say in how this recording is used".
The parliamentary moves to reanimate the debate have drawn consternation from the Open Rights Group, among others.
The Naked Reader 2007
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Copyright OnTheLam 2006
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