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

[Reinier Bakels]

> 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?

I am not sure whether this is not a tenable argument. I you produce a 
product for a customer, or render a service to someone, you are paid on a 
contract. But if you produce information, it is sold to (potentially) a 
large number of customers, over many years. So in a way in makes sense to 
allow the money to flow for an extended period of time. Particularly if 
works of art only become popular after some time. They could employ artists 
and pay them like "ordinary" workers, i.e. once for their service, and then 
it is over. But that actually happens today! The problem is that artists are 
often forced into unfavourable contract, at the start of their career, when 
they still have a weak negotiation power. That is the reason that currently 
a special copyright contract law exists in some countries (like DE), and is 
discussed in other countries (like NL).

It is a strange paradox: under current law, the (performing) artist is 
allowed for an extended period of time to enjoy the benefits of additional 
sales: 50 years. And it still is not enough ...

But eventually, the whole 50->95 endeavour is only a thing of the record 
companies. They loose ground due to Internet. Any other entrepreneur would 
look for different business, if his business gets obsolote. But these 
people - like spoilkt children - do to the government and complain: they are 
stealing my toy!

reinier


Could an intermediary such as a publisher or a record company be helpful 
here? These branches of industry nowadays are very concentrated, so they can 
spread the risks.

An alternative is perhaps a construction where a record company or a