European Parliament Pass Copyright Extension In The UK up to 70 Years

Following on from last month’s story about the newly formed Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) clashing with industry trade bodies over the issue of copyright extension in the UK, we can now confirm that the European Parliament have voted in favour of extending the copyright term for sound recordings from the current 50 year term to 70 years.

As documented last month, the record industries in this country have consistently lobbied for the legal extension of copyright on sound recordings from 50 years to the US standard term of 95 years.

The debate has so far encompassed not only the length of copyright term but also the rights of artists once the existing 50 years has expired on their recordings.

The European Parliament recently rejected the proposal of a 95-year term but backed an extension up to 70 years. They also rejected a notion put forward by the Green Party that in the extended copyright period, ownership should automatically revert to the artist. This was a proposal supported by the members of the FAC, whose argument focused essentially on the idea that artists should be assured of expanded benefits and rights within an extended copyright period.

However, the European Parliament did support a provision for artists and musicians to increase their income by receiving a higher automatic royalty from recordings over 50 years old, adding rules to ensure that labels can't use previous contracts to invalidate such provisions.

Interestingly, they also passed a provision in which artists can claim back ownership of 50-year old recordings if the labels aren’t making them commercially available, resulting in the termination of a recording contract if a label doesn’t make such recordings legitimately available within one year.

The proposals are now due to go to the European Council, a committee consisting of relevant ministers from each country in the EU.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the Association of Independent Music (AIM), Musician’s Union and the recording rights collection society PPL, issued a joint statement following the developments: "Today's supporting vote in the European Parliament recognises fairness and the benefit copyright term extension will bring to artists, producers, performers and music companies. We welcome the vote and urge the EU member states in the Council to follow Parliament's lead and support the proposal".

Have your say: Any artists out there? What do you think the copyright term in the UK should be? Should we be in line with America? Are the proposed benefits to artists enough to justify the 20 year extension? Is the clause to claim back ownership of recordings that aren’t commercially available just a token gesture, given that labels could simply make recordings commercially available by sticking them on iTunes at very little cost? What will the ruling of the European council be?