Copyright Law
Sunday, October 11, 2009 by M09
Copyright as law is a tricky matter. Copyright protection of sound recordings only lasts 50 years from creation. To complicate the matter, a single recording could guarantee the copyright of two different people (songwriter and composer, for example). Also, the rights of these two people are not equal. Songwriters may receive royalties for life plus 70 years, compared with the 50 years from composition for performers.
Cliff Richard in particular stands to lose due to the fact that many of his early recordings are passing the 50 year mark, which means he will no longer receive royalty payments on those songs. He disputes the disparity in rights between songwriter and performer, "We are as important to a song as the writer is because we give it life". However, major artists are a minority. Most artists will not sell millions of records and accordingly their contracts stipulate large percentage payments back to record labels. In such cases copyright extensions represent little benefit. Gowers Review of Intellectual Property recommended against law changes partly due to this fact.
Additionally, there is an argument to be made against current copyright law as it weakens free market competition. This is especially concerning when we realise copyright is instituted at the moment of recording and quality or offensiveness is no obstacle to copyright protection.
Cliff Richard in particular stands to lose due to the fact that many of his early recordings are passing the 50 year mark, which means he will no longer receive royalty payments on those songs. He disputes the disparity in rights between songwriter and performer, "We are as important to a song as the writer is because we give it life". However, major artists are a minority. Most artists will not sell millions of records and accordingly their contracts stipulate large percentage payments back to record labels. In such cases copyright extensions represent little benefit. Gowers Review of Intellectual Property recommended against law changes partly due to this fact.
Additionally, there is an argument to be made against current copyright law as it weakens free market competition. This is especially concerning when we realise copyright is instituted at the moment of recording and quality or offensiveness is no obstacle to copyright protection.