Copyright to remain at 50 years

07 Dec 06 - 06:36 PM (#1902861)
Subject: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: GUEST,Hootenanny

For UK posters.
Sorry, this subject was discussed earlier this year but I'm unable to locate it on the thread.

I'm surprised that no-one today has mentioned the fact that the 50 year public performance copyright of a commercially issued recording is to remain at 50 years and will not be extended to 90 years as was campaigned for by some of our pop singers who somehow have managed to be popular for more than three weeks. This was announced in Brown's pre budget speech yesterday.

This is good news for minority interest music lovers like us. It means that small specialist and enthusiast labels can freely re-issue commercailly issued recording that were issued 50 years or more ago without the major record companies jumping on them.

It appears that for once this government has done the honourable thing and hasn't bowed down to big business. Let's hope they don't change their minds.

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07 Dec 06 - 06:48 PM (#1902877)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: M.Ted

Most people in the US don't even realize that it is only fifty years in the UK--meaning that a lot of early rock and roll has fallen out of copyright there, as well as pop and jazz stuff--even some Elvis stuff. Interestingly, though not available in the US, Amazon UK will ship the specialist/enthusiast stuff to us. Glad that this will not change.

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07 Dec 06 - 07:12 PM (#1902906)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: GUEST,Simon

Paul McCartney spoke in favour of the change. Maybe he needs the money with the pending divorce case.

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07 Dec 06 - 09:40 PM (#1903020)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: dick greenhaus

Much of the out-of-copyright-in-the-UK material isbeing sold in the US. We've reached the odd situation where devotees of early American blues, gospel and country music are finding that it's only available
from European and Japanese suppliers.

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08 Dec 06 - 04:34 AM (#1903231)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: Bonnie Shaljean

Are you sure it's 50 years? About 3 years ago I rang the MCPS (of which I am a member) to confirm the duration of copyright in relation to a transcription of a piece of music I wanted to publish, and they told me very specifically that it was 70 years from the death of the composer. Has this been changed? Hoot, where did you get that info (not meant aggressively, only in curiousity)? Can anyone offer any confirmation or otherwise of 70 years? Because that's very clearly what MCPS told me -

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08 Dec 06 - 04:46 AM (#1903239)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: Zany Mouse

People are living much longer so it should be a longer period. When you are in 'standard' employment your employer pays into a pension fund for you. Recordings should do that for performers. I know Noddy Holden is regarding his Christmas hit as being his pension fund.

So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having ...

Rhiannon

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08 Dec 06 - 04:56 AM (#1903247)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: wilbyhillbilly

This is a quote from the MCPS email I received after having a little "wrangle" with them about some classical sound recordings I did for a customer.

Makes it a bit clearer I think!

"As you point out, it is an infringement of the copyright in sound recordings to make a copy of a work without the express written permission of the copyright owner, so long as the recording is in copyright (i.e. up to 50 years after the original release date). The copyright in the musical work embodied in the sound recording lasts for 70 years after the death of the composer"


whb

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08 Dec 06 - 05:25 AM (#1903264)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: Paul Burke

A patent for an invention lasts for 25 years from issue. That patent could have involved a great deal more education, research, and just sheer hard work than any piece of music, and furthermore may continue to be essential to much of humanity for centuries after it has lapsed.

Now, why should one kind of inspiration, music, be allowed to bankroll the originator and their descendants, yea even unto the seventh generation, when a patent often expires before its originator, especially if a lone inventor, can even get back the investment put into it?

Copyright, like most patents, is intended to preserve the value of the intellectual property for large corporations. If it helps the small operator on the way, that is just a side effect.

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08 Dec 06 - 06:31 AM (#1903301)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: GUEST,Hootenanny

Just to try and clarify;

This copyright is only on the public performance of a commercially issued recorded work.

When a recording is made and issued, that actual piece of work will earn royalties for all the musicians that partook in the recording, featured performer, accompaninsts and backing musicians too,whenever
that sound recording is played in public. For instance a radio broadcast, background in a restauarant, shopping centre, lift, ANY public use of that recording. This applies for 50 years at present.
It does NOT apply to the writers of the lyrics or music, these are covered by a different set of copyright laws.
If another take was made at the session and was itself issued at a later date, then that itself is a seperate piece and will have the same rules applied for fifty years after it's issue. Also if the record company takes the original recording and does a remix and issues that it is counted as a new recording and starts another fifty years.
With material such as folk music or related minority interest music, the amount of public exposure is so small that it often falls below the radar of the people responsible for returns to the royalty collection company.
It would appear that PPL are going to appeal on behalf of the musicians. Personally I feel that it is really the record companies that are the real beneficiaries. You see, they get fifty percent of the royalties to which the above refers. Plus I believe it is planned that if performers do not register to collect their PPL royalties (which costs the performer nothing) then after a while their unclaimed monies will revert to the record companies.

This is as I understand the situation was up until a couple of years back.

I would recommend that you contact PPL direct if you have any queries, they have a performer help desk and have a website telling all about themselves. They will also be able to confirm or otherwise if my information is correct.

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08 Dec 06 - 09:28 AM (#1903415)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: GUEST

Zany, I don't know of anyone who needs a pension to continue 70 years AFTER they are dead. I'm all for strict and generous copyright to protect earning power of authors. I'm just not real interested in Sonny Bono's great-grandchildren not having to work for a living.

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08 Dec 06 - 02:09 PM (#1903670)
Subject: RE: Copyright to remain at 50 years
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Limits clearly stated in UK Copyright Law:
www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law

Fact Sheet O-01: UK Copyright Law, issued April 2000, last emended 11th August 2004.

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