UK Government To Extend Copyright Law?

British Culture Minister Andy Burnham has said that the government is preparing to extend the copyright law for performers to 70 years.

At present, performers currently lose copyright after 50 years.

Speaking to the UK Music Creators' Conference in London, Burnham said: "It's only right that someone who created or contributed to something of real value gets to benefit for the full course of their life."

The current law has been opposed by the likes of Paul McCartney, The Who's Roger Daltrey and Cliff Richard, who say it should be brought in line with American laws, which last 95 years.

Burnham added that the law should be changed for moral reasons, reports BBC News.

"There is a moral case for performers benefiting from their work throughout their entire lifetime," he said. "We must ensure that any extension delivers maximum benefit to performers and musicians. That's the test of any model as we go forward."

If the UK law remains, royalties from Cliff Richard's earliest songs, such as his 1958 hit "Move It", will expire on January 1.

The Beatles' back catalogue copyright is set to start expiring in 2013.

Thanks for the report to Nme.com.

Comments

[bognorboy]

greedy bastards

[tim western]

...The Who's Roger Daltrey...

The man who said 'I hope I die before I get old'

But seriously, extend the law otherwise talentless pop acts will just use songs which they didn't write once the copyright runs out.

[pl0x]

Can someone really take that much advantage over a well known song? Wouldn't they just get shunned because everyone knows the orginal?

[Veritas69]

pl0x wrote:

Can someone really take that much advantage over a well known song? Wouldn't they just get shunned because everyone knows the orginal?

yeah but older songs are starting to be forgoten slowly and the new youth wont know the wiser sadly

[Aftertime]

dam~so i can't put led zeppelin in my films til like 2030~40

i guess it's only fair about that full course of their life part..

[YourMessiah666]

im a fan of the 70 year thing

[Lapidus]

"My god!!! my ex wife is gone with half of my billions of pounds, what am I gonna do????? I cannot live like this!!!Write new material? naaaahh, extend that bloody law!!!"

[tcangusyoung123]

Extending copyright's a fairly decent idea, especially in these times of music downloads ripping the artists off.

[theotherguy7145]

Lapidus wrote:

"My god!!! my ex wife is gone with half of my billions of pounds, what am I gonna do????? I cannot live like this!!!Write new material? naaaahh, extend that bloody law!!!"

LOL! I can see where you're coming from with that comment, but i can also see why they want it extending.
Just cos the copyright runs out doesn't mean you didn't write that song and it shouldn't mean that people can rip it off.

[webbtje]

bognorboy wrote:

greedy bastards

I know, how greedy of them to expect to be paid for the work they've done!

Extending the length seems fair to me; reasonable that an artist should gain from his output while he's alive; Cliff goes to show how the existing laws are still a little on the short side. 95 years seems a little excessive though.

[Sam Mézec]

Rule Britannia

[Deadrocker93]

They shouldn't lose the copyright at all... They made the songs, they should reap the full benefits for as long as they live and pass the rights to whoever they want...

[josh.more]

i think it should be 50 years after they pass away, and in band situations, til they have all gone.

[Fuzzy Picklez]

josh.more :
i think it should be 50 years after they pass away, and in band situations, til they have all gone.

i like that

[Fuzzy Picklez]

im just kind of worried Hendrix songs are going to be played in bad kids cartoons
that would be a sad day