Open Rights Group: Release the Music Nov 13th

[fingertrouble]

Just received this press release:

Release The Music: Briefing on copyright term extension

A handful of major record labels are trying to break a fifty year-old promise. Musicians and their fans will not be the only victims.

A multinational industry with privileged access to the UK government is seeking an extension to the term of copyright protection given to sound recordings. They claim it will boost Britain’s chances in the ‘knowledge economy’. The evidence says otherwise.

At the moment, sound recordings are protected for 50 years, but the music industry would like this term to be significantly extended to 95 years or even ‘life plus 70 years’ (the same term as for the underlying composition).

Leading New Labour thinktank the Institute for Public Policy Research labelled this proposal “economically illogical” and “anti-competitive” in their recent report, Public Innovation: Intellectual Property in a Digital Age.

Contrary to music industry claims, term extension won’t help the vast majority of recording artists. It will leave innovative independent record labels at a significant disadvantage, and could destroy the British Library Sound Archive. Furthermore, it will make almost no contribution to UK GDP.

Sounds interesting, I'll be out of the country but the event is on November the 13th in London - go check it out.

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[maclondon.livejournal.com]

oh! I designed their logo - see it's on the site now.
well me and denise from b3ta did it together in a sort
of virtual love fest