And in the June 10th Wired there's an article on the brewing battle throughout the EU: http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,67783,00.html Jim > -----Original Message----- > From: Dick Spottswood [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2005 8:38 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: [ARSCLIST] Fw: Plan to extend copyright in UK > > > the clouds gather... > > ----- Forwarded by Dick Spottswood/dick/AmericanU on > 06/14/2005 08:39 AM > ----- > > > "Lance Ledbetter" <[log in to unmask]> > 06/13/2005 08:42 PM > > To: "Dick Spottswood" <[log in to unmask]> > cc: > Subject: Plan to extend copyright in UK > > > The Sunday Times - Britain > June 05, 2005 > > Plan to extend copyright on pop classics > Andrew Porter, Deputy Political Editor > > BRITAIN'S super-rich rock veterans are about to get even richer. The > government wants to extend copyright laws to ensure pop songs are > protected for almost twice as long as the current 50 years. > It sees the > move as a way of generating more money for the record industry, which > would use it to discover new talent. > > It will mean Beatles classics such as Love Me Do and Please Please Me, > released in 1963, need not automatically lose their copyright in 2013. > The Rolling Stones could also benefit with songs such as Satisfaction > having their copyright extended beyond 2015. > > James Purnell, the new minister for creative industries, believes the > change will allow record companies to generate extra revenue > to look for > new talent and nurture it. Purnell, who will outline his plans in a > speech next week, said: "The music industry is a risky business and > finding talent and artists is expensive. There is a view that > long-term > earners are needed so that the record companies can plough money back > into unearthing new talent. > "Bands like Coldplay will make enough money for their company to help > them discover around 50 or 100 bands." > > In America, copyright protection lasts 90 years - and British > ministers > are considering a similar period. Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, > is also planning to set up a Music Council to be run along > the lines of > the present Film Council. The music industry believes this would help > with cross- industry initiatives such as stamping out piracy. > The moves > are part of the Labour government's first steps back into > policy-making > in an area that has an uncomfortable history. When Tony Blair first > entered Downing Street, he was keen to embrace the supposed spirit of > "Cool Britannia", but this later became synonymous with a > celebrity-obsessed elite. It saw figures such as Oasis star Noel > Gallagher and Meg Mathews, his wife at the time, comedian Eddie Izzard > and actor Ralph Fiennes feted by the Blairs. > > Purnell believes that the idea behind Cool Britannia was right, but > poorly executed. "The label Cool Britannia gave the > impression that the > policy was about supporting an elite in London. But the last > five years > have shown that creative industries are central to regeneration," he > said "You only have to look at Manchester, Gateshead or > Liverpool to see > how these sectors generate jobs and civic pride. We do not > want to be in > a situation in 30 or 40 years' time when [these industries] are talked > about in the past tense like shipbuilding." > > http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1641428,00.html >