Good to see that the government is reported to be rejecting calls to extend copyright in sound recordings and performers’ rights. In the face of opposition from Cliff Richard, Katie Melua, Roger Daltrey and a group of star-struck MPs, Gordon Brown looks to be following the sound advice of the Gowers report that he commissioned as Chancellor.
I’m in the rare position of saying, without reservation – good on you, Gordon. You’ve been a model of good sense in all this – a far cry from your opposite number who, in a recent address to the BPI, said that the Conservative Party would play ball and extend copyright terms – in exchange for social responsibility from record companies in the marketing of rap. (Read the full speech here in pdf.) In the face of stiff competition that is quite the silliest response of a politician I’ve heard to the question of music and copyright.
Oh, and if you think it’s ironic that the man who sang “Hope I die before I get old” should be leading the charge to extend performers’ rights to 95 years, don’t worry – the IPKat got there first. And surely I can’t be the only one to note the irony that for The Who – squillionaires all – their wealth has less to do with sitting on their arses watching the royalties come in and more to do with the fact that, as one of the most bankable live acts in the world, they’re still out there, performing.
The Rambler 