At present UK copyright in a literary, musical, artistic or
dramatic work lasts for 70 years after the death of the author,
while sound recordings and broadcasts are protected for 50 years
after the year of publication.
This means that the sound recording copyright owned by record
companies in major sixties hits by the Beatles and the Rolling
Stones has less than 10 years to run – 40 years less than would
apply if the US copyright laws were applicable in this country.
According to the Sunday Times, the government is considering a
change in the system, on the basis that an extension would raise
more money for the music industry, which can be ploughed back into
new talent.
But the proposals have upset some artists and lobby groups.
According to European Digital Rights, such an extension would
cause a “direct loss for creative artists who would like to sample
and remix fragments of classic songs without having to pay
royalties, and for academics who maintain web sites of
out-of-copyright recordings of traditional music for study
purposes.”
Other commentators suggest that the extension would result in
the creation of many “orphan works” – creative works still covered
by the copyright term, but no longer publicly available – as has
happened in the US.
