[pp.int.general] From 50 to 95 years, next tuesday: how are WE going to react to extension of commercial rights?

[Andrew Norton]

Reinier Bakels wrote:
>> It seems that such issue will be voted next tuesday; are we going to 
>> help Andrew Norton to write a common PPI press release? Regards
> 
> For those who have not seen them yet: arguments can be found in:
> http://www.ivir.nl/publications/helberger/EIPR_2008_5.pdf
> Actually imho even better is (for those of you who read German):
> http://www.ip.mpg.de/de/data/pdf/stellungnahme-bmj-2008-09-10-def.pdf
> The latter document explains that the suggestion to protect the 
> interests (pension) of "poor" artists is actually a counter-productive 
> fallacy: such proposals distract the attention from the need for good 
> copyrights contract law, that acknowledges the unequal negotiation 
> position between a (beginning) artist (or author) and the record company 
> (or publisher).
> The extension will only benefit:
> - artists of the 50s whose records are still frequently played: this is 
> a happy few, like Sir Cliff Richard. They are either extremely rich, or 
> they are drug addicts. In the former case they don't need the 
> compensation, in the latter case it will kill them. Harddrugs are very 
> unhealthy for aging people/
> - otherwise: record companies: while the actual amount per artist will 
> be minimal in this case, (only) the record companies will benefit for 
> aggregate amounts that still may be substantial.
> Note that such an extension will create tremendous problems for e.g. 
> radio stations compiling programs of historic music - unless there is 
> some lump sum agreement - which effectively amounts to another copyright 
> "tax".

My issue, and it's the position i've had since the uk proposed it 2 
years ago, is that no other old person gets money from work they did 
years ago, be they doctors, police, politicians. They either have to 
work, or they have to have invested in a pension. Why are musicians so 
special? They had their money, that they are poor now makes them no 
different from every other poor elderly person. If they couldn't be 
bothered to invest in their future, why should we do it for them?


> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> reinier
> 
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