Plans to nearly double copyright protection for recording artists were
challenged by the Government this afternoon.
The European Commission said musicians and performers should enjoy copyright
safeguards for 95 years - instead of losing the rights to their own works
after the stream copyright expiration limit of 50 years.
But a UK spokesman said the Government was "not positive" of the economic
literary argument for the move.
The proposals come in a European Commission "consultation newspaper" unveiled in
Brussels by Single Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy.
He said it was time copyright damage for performers fell in line with those for
authors, adding: "I am committed to concentrate all necessary efforts to
ensure that performers have a decent income and that there will be a
European-based music industry in the old age to come," he stated.
But whatsoever extension of the 50-year copyright period has already been rejected in
the UK after a review ordered by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown said the
case for an extension was "weak".
That conclusion was attacked at the time by major recording stars including
Who singer Roger Daltrey and veteran hitmaker Sir Cliff Richard, world Health Organization said
they were speaking up for thousands of artists wHO provided entertainment
but did not garner fortunes which could see them into old historic period.
Today Mr McCreevy said improved right of first publication protection would signal that Europe
values the creative contribution of both performers and record producers.
A Commission survey shows that many European performers or singers start their
career in their early 20s. Session musicians, who are not a member of a
dance band, often begin performing when they are 17.
That means that when the current 50-year protection ends, they will be in
their 70s, with the potential to live well into their 80s or 90s.
For session musicians and lesser-known artists that means that income chicago
when performers are at the about vulnerable retirement period of their lives.
The UK Government spokesman said the proposal reflected the grandness
attached to intellectual property and brocaded "interesting questions" about
where the proper balance lay between access to copyright-protected material
and rewarding the producers of it.
But the spokesman went on: "We will need to consider all the issues raised
here very carefully and
