September 12th, 2011
EU extends music copyright to 70 years Sir Cliff Richard was at the forefront of the campaign to extend copyright
Musicians are set receive royalties for their songs well into their old age under a new EU ruling. Regulations approved on Monday extended copyright on sound recordings from 50 to 70 years. It means that recordings like Cliff Richard’s Move It, which fell out of copyright in 2009, will now continue to earn money for the musicians involved. The move has been welcomed by the music industry. Presenter Jools Holland called the ruling “fantastic news”. “Artists put their hearts and souls into creating music and it is only fair that they are recompensed in line with the rest of Europe,” said Holland who also performs and records his own music. “It’s important that creators get paid for the work they do and this extra 20 years is much deserved.” Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus said the extension of copyright would give him control over the use of his songs. “Now I won’t have to see Abba being used in a TV commercial,” he said, “and the thousands of lesser known musicians around Europe who are enriching our life and culture can get the fair reward in return for their work that they deserve.
BBC News - EU extends music copyright to 70 years

∞09:30 pm, by cyberetto  Comments
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