1950s Europe copyrights end
p2pnet.net News:- The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is a-shakin’, a-rattlin’ and a-rollin’.
That’s because in Europe, sound recordings made on or before December 31 1954 will become public domain as of January next year.
Nooooooooo! – Cries the BPI in anguish.
European sound recording copyrights become void after 50 years but, "By contrast the work of authors, songwriters and composers – the song rather than the recording – is protected for 70 years after their death, a total perhaps of 120 or 130 years," the Big Music organization bleats.
Why can’t recording copyrights be like the US where they last for 95 years? – asks the BPI.
"Some suggest dismissively that this is about the right of already established and successful artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones being able to continue to earn royalties on their work," it goes on.
But, "Just as is the case with music piracy, it is not the established artists who suffer the most when copyright is weak or abused. It’s about the new generation of artists."
What a load of old bollocks.
It’s about unvarnished greed and the Big Four record label cartel’s bottom line.
August 17th, 2004 at 9:36 pm
“The UK record industry invests about 13% of its revenues in developing new artists. A weaker UK record industry means less investment in new British artists, and for that investment to continue an extension of the term of copyright is essential.”
love how they twist things, like their decision to invest in new artists is a business decision … this is business remember? Only slitting their own throats by reducing their investment in new artists … and really in the end it’s the artists who pay dearly for the record companies “investment” while the record company reap the benefits.
For once a government that has a reasonable view on copyright – I guess BPI would abuse copyright law just like american corporations like disney, do ………. if they could get away with it.
my heart bleeds for BPI … no, really it does … honest
>:)
August 17th, 2004 at 10:15 pm
Songs from the early years of the rock and roll era are now beginning to enter into the public domain in Europe – but wait a cotton-pickin’ minute! There is still plenty of commercial value left to be wrung out of many of these old classics. Time for Big Music to shift the gravytrain into high gear and start pulling some strings.
Count on the full weight of US government bearing down on Europe in order to rachet up the copyright period to at least that of the USA. It’s just not fair for Europeans to get something for free that American consumers must still pay for. Any country that fails to comply will get slapped with trade sanctions and/or tariffs. Maybe even a few cruise missiles.
August 18th, 2004 at 5:24 am
The clock is ticking!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will the evil music meanies win and extend copyrights ??????????????????? Let us HOPE Not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 18th, 2004 at 12:22 pm
They will. Money talks and everybody in power is an ass buddy.
August 18th, 2004 at 5:52 pm
Jass,
I KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR THE NEW-MUSIC I AM MAKING AND LISTEN TO YOUR DAMITA JO ALBUM AND START LOOKING, LOOK, LOOKING ALL CRAZY ALL UP SIDE MY HEAD. I OPOLIGIZE ABOUT THAT IT WOULD HAVE CAME OUT A MUCH BETTER ALBUM IF YOU WOULD HAVE CAME AND GOT ME TO WORK WITH YOU ON IT,… I GUESS ?
LOOK LETS APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE,… I BEEN MAKING HITS EVER SINCE DAY NUMBER ONE WITH QUINTON AND ANDRE, AND BURT AND MY G-UNIT FAMILY. WELL YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO BE MY MANAGER,… JASS, BESIDES YOU HAVE BEEN MY MUSICAL INSPIRATION,.. AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS NOT ALL SAYING THAT I DONT KNOW FOR NOTHING AND,… I REALLY DONT KNOW ? I MEAN I KNOW MY TASTE OF MUSIC, NEW MUSIC ?
August 20th, 2004 at 2:47 pm
I could not agree more, to the record companies artists are there to make THEM money!!!! Bottom line it’s all about profit as far as they are concerned think how many of the greats of yesteryears work is used in modern music sampling. One form of modern music yeah right!!
When you look at TV shows like Pop Idol etc these so called talent they have even turned the discovery of new talent into a money-making exercise by getting viewers to phone into a premium rate phone line for the new wannabees (a idea from the choice of 1960’s eurovision song contest efforts, classics such as Boom-bang a Bang etc). !
Many new artist do cover versions of old songs (e.g. Atomic Kitten’s Eternal flame)
The fact that many of these rights are already owned by the record companies mean they would be paying themselves anyway!!!
Also isn’t this the arguement they use for the high costs of the recordings, think about the cost of production of a CD and the selling price!!
Whilst I acknowledge that record are producing some quality products, a lot of the products are rubbish or the republishing of old standards
I do believe the phonographic industry is trying to have it’s cake and eat at the same time.
A Music Lover
February 23rd, 2005 at 9:39 pm