Plan to extend copyright on pop classics
…The government wants to extend copyright laws to ensure pop songs are protected for almost twice as long as the current 50 years.…It will mean Beatles classics such as Love Me Do and Please Please Me, released in 1963, need not automatically lose their copyright in 2013. The Rolling Stones could also benefit with songs such as Satisfaction having their copyright extended beyond 2015.
James Purnell, the new minister for creative industries, believes the change will allow record companies to generate extra revenue to look for new talent and nurture it.
This defeats the purpose of the public domain. Wheras the funds might permit some new talent to be “discovered” and leeched upon by the record industry, it will be at the expense of the very origins of that newfound talent.