[Ecommerce] UK Copyright extension a no-go: BPI reacts

[Michelle Childs]

As I suggested the BPI will focus on the Governmnet even if Gowers does
not recommend copyright extension.
Michelle

<snip>

The British Phonographic Institute (BPI), which represents many record
labels and related companies, today tried to downplay the significance of
the leak. Chairman Peter Jamieson said: "It is really the responses of the
Treasury, DTI and DCMS and not the recommendations of an independent
report, that we are most interested in. It's in the government's power to
ignore such a recommendation and they should do so."



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/27/copyright_not_extended/

Copyright extension a no-go: BPI reacts
Not giving up
By Chris Williams &#8594; Published Monday 27th November 2006 11:37 GMT

The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property will recommend the current 50
year copyright term on sound recordings is not extended, according to
reports.

Though the Review's opinion is not neccessarily binding on the government,
it will be a blow to the recording industry which had been lobbying to
extend the term to 95 years - the same as in the US. The BBC said late
last night that former Financial Times editor Gowers will recommend the
current term remains when he delivers his Review next week alongside the
Chancellor's pre-budget report.

The British Phonographic Institute (BPI), which represents many record
labels and related companies, today tried to downplay the significance of
the leak. Chairman Peter Jamieson said: "It is really the responses of the
Treasury, DTI and DCMS and not the recommendations of an independent
report, that we are most interested in. It's in the government's power to
ignore such a recommendation and they should do so."

One record industry source today told The Register the news meant the push
to extend sound recording copyright could be about to hit the buffers. He
said: "The fat lady hasn't sung yet, but she's tuning up."

At the Economist's annual Innovation Summit earlier this month, Gowers
said the decision over copyright extension should be framed in terms of
whether it fosters creativity. The BPI and others including high profile
recording artists like Cliff Richard and Mick Hucknall had argued term
extension would be vital to the industry's ability to bring on new acts
and would act as a pension scheme for retired musicians.

Nacsent UK digital rights organisation the Open Rights Group campaigned
against extension, asserting it would mostly benefit the four major
labels. Influential liberal-leaning thinktank the Institute for Public
Policy Research said in its recent report on copyright: "We have not seen
any evidence to suggest that current protections provided in law are
insufficient. We feel that to extend terms any further than their current
length is economically illogical and anti-competitive."

The British Library meanwhile said term extension would render nearly all
of the UK's audio history into copyright and jeopardise its ability to
preserve the national sound heritage.

The independent Gowers review was commissioned around this time last year
to examine a host of intellectual property-related issues as the Treasury
seeks to encourage a "knowledge-based economy". =AE



--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
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