Privacy Digest

Cut the misogyny and we'll extend musicians' copyright - Times Online: "David Cameron yesterday offered the music industry a unique deal - cut the glorification of materialism, misogyny and guns in hits and the next Conservative government would back an extension of the copyright on sound recordings from the current 50-year period to 70 years.

The change, which must be agreed at a Europe-wide level, means that musicians and singers would be guaranteed to receive royalty payments for their work for most of their lives.

Addressing the British Phonographic Industry annual meeting, Mr Cameron said: "Most people think these are all multimillionaires living in some penthouse flat. The reality is that many of these are low-earning session musicians who will be losing a vital pension."

Rejecting a report commissioned by Gordon Brown, which said that there was no case for extending copyright, Mr Cameron quoted research which found that the change could boost the music industry by £3.3 billion over the next 50 years.

He argued that extending the term would give an "incentive to the music industry to digitise both older and niche repertoire which more people can enjoy at no extra cost".

Sir Cliff Richard, The Who and Sir Paul McCartney backed the campaign to extend the 50-year term, as the first rock'n'roll era recordings begin to fall out of copyright.

But in return for the commitment, and a promise that a Tory government would crack down on illegal file-sharing, Mr Cameron said that the music industry must demonstrate a wider social responsibility.

Readers respond - Have Your Say

My Cameron's faith in copyright is misplaced. The vast majority of successful music artists make no significant profit from the benefits that copyright brings to their work. Further, it hampers innovation and makes criminals of citizens who have do no material damage. Copyright is protectionism by another name and the economy would be better off without it.

Craig Turner, London, UK

The Gower report took the view that the copyright term did not require extension after careful study of the situation. I fail to understand why Mr. Cameron feels so free to disregard their advice without justification. He seems keen to prevent the theft of intellectual property, but fails to see that a copyright term extension is theft from the public domain on a grand scale. As for his comments about people's attitude towards file sharing, perhaps this is a hint more effort should be put into prevention and investigation of crimes that people do care about, rather than spending the taxpayers money in the service of the record companies interests. If the British justice system became more concerned with actually delivering justice, many of the social problems to which he refers could be solved. Looking to the music industry to cure the ills of society is frighteningly naive."

(Read Original Article - Via Times Online .)