EU Commissioner Supports 95 Year Copyright Protection Term for Singers and Musicians

European Union (EU) internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy supports extending the length of copyright protection terms for singers and musicians to 95 years. Currently, European singers and musicians receive 50 years of copyright protection for their work. However works produced by European composers and lyricists are protected by copyright for the lifetime of the artist plus 70 years after his/her death. The copyright protection term for composers and lyricists would not be changed under this proposal. EU Commissioner McCreevy explained his rationale for extending the copyright protection term for singers and musicians as follows:

I have not seen a convincing reason why a composer of music should benefit from a term of copyright which extends to the composer's life and 70 years beyond. It is the performer who gives life to the composition and while most of us have no idea who wrote our favourite song – we can usually name the performer.

McCreevy also noted that since people are living longer, then 50 years of copyright protection would not provide a lifetime of royalty payments to artists who recorded songs in their teens or early twenties. In some cases those royalty payments are the only source of income that elderly former artists have. Although European music industry executives support Commissioner McCreevy's position, the British government has already chosen to maintain the 50 year copyright protection term for singers and musicians under British law, thereby adopting the position stated in the UK Gowers Review on Intellectual Property. McCreevy also recommended adding a "use it or lose it" provision that would permit an artist to change record companies if his/her current record company was unwilling to re-release a recording during the extended copyright protection term. For more information, see: http://tinyurl.com/36q7l8; and http://tinyurl.com/357lf8 Summary by: Andrei Edwards