Intellectual property review disappoints musicians but recommends tightening of copyright legislation.
Musicians and recording artists have reacted with dismay to news that the copyright period for sound recordings is unlikely to be extended beyond its current term of 50 years. The Gowers Review into intellectual property, which has been published as part of the Chancellor of the Exchequers Pre Budget Report, has recommended that copyright should remain at 50 years rather than respond to campaigners requests for an extension to 95 years to bring the UK into line with legislation in the USA. The Report also recommended strengthening measures against illegal downloads of music, simplifying the intellectual property system and reforming copyright law to allow the use of content in ways consistent with the digital age.
The Review was commissioned by the Chancellor in December 2005 to evaluate the UKs intellectual property (IP) legislation and assess how IP rights are assessed, awarded and enforced. Among the recommendations are tougher policing of copyright infringement, including the introduction of 10-year jail terms for online piracy; ensuring that libraries and education establishments have access to artistic products so that
the UKs cultural heritage can be adequately preserved; and introducing a private copying exception to copyright to enable people to shift content theyve purchased between different formats. However, it is the decision not to extend the term of artists copyright which has prompted the strongest reaction from artists; 4,500 musicians put their names to a protest advertisement which appeared in the Financial Times (which the reports author, Andrew Gowers, edited until last year). Peter Jamieson, Chairman of record industry association, the BPI, said, ...this analysis completely fails to address the central argument of discrimination against sound recording copyright inherent in the current system& As Mr Gowers says, the decision on extension is ultimately for the European Commission and we will be putting our case vigorously when it reviews the relevant directive next year.
Among the other announcements in the Chancellors Pre Budget Report were a review of the Invest to Save stream of funding, which over the past few years has directed significant funds to projects that bring together organisations in partnership to deliver more efficient and effective public services. A number of arts projects have been given major cash awards under this scheme including arts in health projects, initiatives to support museums in pooling resources online, youth arts schemes and the Mission, Models, Money programme. The Chancellor also allocated additional resources to schools for after schools programmes.