[A2k] BBC term extention

[Glyn Wintle]

BBC had a very one side piece yesterday, no one from the other side of the =
copyright term extension argument.

20:38 Thursday 14 Febuary 2008 BBC news 24

BBC presenter Sally:
There are calls to extend the copyright protection for recording artists fr=
om the present 50 years to 95 years. People who write the music have copyri=
ght protection of their life time and 70 years but the people who sing the =
song or play on the song the copyright only extends to 50 years. A commissi=
on survey shows that many European performers or singers at the start of th=
eir career are in their early twenties that means that when the current pro=
tection ends they will be in their seventies and it leaves a large period a=
fter that expiry period when the performers no longer  will receive any inc=
ome from their sound recordings .

Well joining me now from Dundee is  Pete Wishart the only mp I am told to h=
ave ever have appeared on top of the pops, and a long term campaigner for f=
air copyright and also on the line is Paul McGuinness the manager of U2. Le=
ts start with you Pet, there was a study by the Uk government into the exte=
nsion of UK copyright a few years ago and they said the case to extend it w=
as week, what's changed?

Pete Wishart MP SNP:
Well I don't know where the Gower's report came from, when it started its l=
ook at the issues to do with term extension, it some how concluded that it =
was  bad for the economy they never spoke to artists  they did not speak to=
 musicians, they compiled a little group of economists who decided in their=
 own wisdom  that this was a bad idea. Now of cause this is good for the ec=
onomy its aiding and helping the creative industries but more importantly i=
ts good for musician's, musician's who now when they reach the ages of sixt=
y nine, seventy, seventy five will not be deprived of income, income that m=
any rely on.

BBC presenter Sally:
What would it mean though, if the copyright was extended.

Pete Wishart MP SNP:
Well what it would mean it would be the end of this unique historic discrim=
ination against musicians all other artists and creators are protected with=
 the copyright, some receive life time plus fifty, in America its life plus=
 eighty that you will receive and securer for your copyright, in the UK it =
was fifty years. Now what this will do will bring them into line with other=
 artists and creators recognise that their contribution to these recordings=
 was some thing special and unique and they will be rewarded in their old a=
ge for those fantastic recordings they made in their youth.

BBC presenter Sally:
Paul its all about as Pete says its all about contribution but if you pay a=
 session musician to play on a song that you have written shorelly that's f=
ees enough, that's reward enough as it is, why should they get the benefit =
of copyright?

Paul McGuinness U2 Manager:
Well its not just session musician's  we are talking about here, we are tal=
king all performers, including the Beetles and Cliff Richard we had got use=
d to the idea in the last thirty forty years that most rock and roll artist=
s write the own material the Beetles where the ground breakers there, but t=
here are a large number of artists who recordings, who's early recordings a=
re about to go out of copyright including for instance Cliff Richards and a=
 recording contains two copyrights I am sure you are aware of that, the cop=
yright in the song and there is the copyright in the recording and where as=
 song writers who may be the same people as the performers are well protect=
ed, the performers are not protected currently as well in the UK as they ar=
e in most other parts of the world including America. And that's why the Go=
wers report was such a disappointment because despite wide consultation he =
came to the conclusion that there was no case to extend the term in
the sound recording copyright.

BBC presenter Sally:
But Paul if that copyright period was extended for those people you are tal=
king about including as you say Cliff Richard, what impact would that have =
on the Industry?

Paul McGuinness U2 Manager:
Well it will prevent people pressing up copies of his recordings and not pa=
ying him a royalty for instance, which would have happened otherwise, now t=
his process is not yet complete  it is the EU who have taken this view, Com=
missioner McCreevy a fellow Irishman I am happy to say, has especially disa=
greed with Andrew Gowers the former editor of the financial Times and i thi=
nk this will produce a head of steam, some momentum, and we can expect to s=
ee European and British practice fall into line with what's happening in mo=
st other countries.

BBC presenter Sally:
Pete do you agree with Paul that this will produce a head of steam, can you=
 see it being changed

Pete Wishart MP SNP:
Well I think today was very significant the fact that commissioner McCreevy=
 recommend this, this is a recommendation for a European directive which if=
 passed and if the commission agrees to it will oblige the UK and all Europ=
ean Governments to go along with this.  I can not see an argument against t=
his, the Gower's report was unfortunate as Paul says it muddied the waters =
for such a long time, but this is now developing a head of steam, I have a =
private members bill just now in the house commons which seeks to extend th=
is and this has wide spread parliamentary support across parties, this is c=
ampaign that supported by the whole industry, the musicians union, the BPI,=
 the BPL, every body behind this now and I think we will get justice for mu=
sicians

ends 20:43




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