The report concludes that the Government, "should press the European Commission to bring forward proposals for an extension of copyright term for sound recordings to at least 70 years, to provide reasonable certainty that an artist will be able to derive benefit from a recording through his or her lifetime."
It disagrees with the outcome of the review of copyright term by Andrew Gowers last year, saying it focuses only on economic analysis rather than the moral rights of creators. "The Select Committee has given a ringing endorsement for fair treatment of the UK music industry. It has backed two simple principles – that UK performers must get a term of copyright protection comparable to composers, and that Britain must not be left with weaker copyright protection than its international partners," said IFPI CEO and Chairman John Kennedy.
He added: "The Gowers report was far too long on economic theory and far too short on fairness to British copyright holders. The UK Select Committee’s findings are totally right for Britain’s creative industries, and they send a clear strong message to the Government and to the European Union. We are also pleased that the Committee recognized that Internet Service Providers and search-based businesses should do more to discourage piracy, a position that we have been advocating for some time."
Source:
Press Release
Written by: James Delahunty @ 16 May 2007 19:58
