The fat get fatter it seems as some musicians no longer want to keep their end of the bargain struck under copyright law with the consumers, and its only the big musicians who are complaining it seems.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6216152.stmRecording artists such as Sir Paul McCartney and U2 have backed a call for an extension of copyright on sound recordings from 50 years to 95 years.
An advert in the Financial Times has been signed by over 4,500 artists, from session musicians to Peter Gabriel.
It follows the government-commissioned Gowers Report, which recommended the protection should not be extended.
The British Phonographic Industry has campaigned for parity with the US, which has a 95-year limit.
Performers and writers earn royalties through airplay and sales of their songs.
A spokesman for the Open Rights Group, which campaigns for greater digital rights, said: "The big music firms have done a good job of persuading some artists to sign up to this but anyone who reads the Gowers review will see it demolishes the arguments for extension.
"An awful lot of content creators are not represented by this and recognise an extension will do nothing for creativity and nothing for the public."
Although the government could choose to ignore the review, this would bring it into conflict with the European Union, which is already working to harmonise intellectual property laws on the 50 year limit.
I,m all for folks earning a living from their work but they chose to publish the work to gain legal protection withing the copyright framework, now they wish to move the goalposts and break their half of the contract.
Most folks have to work all their lives and cannot afford to sit on the fact they own the rights to something or other, and 50 years protected revnue is surely enough for an artist who contiues to generate output over many years, each being afforded the time of same protection, I see nothing more than greed and the attempt to gain something for nothing at the expense of the consumer by artists renown for treating the rights to their songs as commodities.
If we all acted the same as cliff richards, u2 and paul mc cartney then I,m sure the world would be a more selfish place, none of those I have seen complaining need the money, and those that do are less likely to earn it while whole rafts of lyrics are held by a few folks who who sue if just a few words where used in error.
A deals a deal Artists, deal with it.
