medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear medieval-religion colleagues,
This message, sent to the musicology-all jiscmail list, could well be of interest to many of us (recordings of medieval/renaissance music, spoken word recitals, etc.)
George
--
George Ferzoco
University of Leicester
University Road
LEICESTER LE1 7RH
UNITED KINGDOM
tel + 44 (0)116 252 2654
fax + 44 (0)116 252 3633
e-mail [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Musicology-all Superlist on behalf of Geoffrey Chew
Sent: Tue 2005-08-16 12:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Extension of copyright on recordings (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nicholas Cook <[log in to unmask]>
Dear list members
You may have heard that there is a proposal to extend copyright on sound
recordings from the present 50 years (which means that all 78s are
ex-copyright) to a much longer period, possibly 95 years. The EU recently
considered and rejected this, but the proposal has come back onto the
agenda as a result of strong pressure from the big record companies, who
don't like the idea of recordings by Cliff Richard, the Beatles et al
entering the public domain. What happens will very much depend on the UK,
because of its EU presidency, and James Purnell, the Minister for Cultural
Industries, is consulting on this issue.
Since the record companies work on big numbers and have no interest in
reissuing 99% of their backlists, including their classical music
backlists, there is a real chance that such legislation would kill off the
historical reissues industry (which hardly exists in the US beause of the
copyright regime there). That could also kill off the new interest in
historical performance that the availability of these recordings has
created among both academics and the wider public. From a musicological
point of view, especially for those of us interested in performance
history and analysis, this is a disastrous prospect.
We can make a difference, because public response will be one of the
factors that determine what happens. The more people who write in to
oppose such a change, the more chance there is that it won't happen. If
you oppose it, please take the time to write to your local MP and/or James
Purnell MP (the address in either case is House of Commons, Westminster,
London SW1 0AA, or you can email via http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/).
You are welcome to use or adapt the following letter if you wish.
Alternatively you may prefer to write your own letter, and I am pasting in
some bullet points (borrowed from David Patmore) outlining relevant
issues.
Thank you for your help. With best wishes, Nicholas Cook
-----------------------------------------
Dear
I am writing about the suggestion recently reported in the press that
copyright on sound recordings may be extended from 50 years to 90 or 95,
in response to pressure from major record companies concerned that highly
commercial rock recordings from the 1960s will soon enter the public
domain.
For other music, particularly classical music, such an extension could be
a disaster. One of the major developments of the last 10-20 years has been
renewed interest in early recordings and performance styles. The major
record companies, whose business models are based on high unit sales, have
shown little interest in reissuing their ex-copyright back lists. Instead,
small specialist companies such as Naxos, Nimbus, and Pearl have taken the
lead, and in doing so have created a new industry in which the UK is a
world leader. They have created a new market of listeners and invigorated
the classical tradition, bringing to life a cultural heritage that would
otherwise be gathering dust in the archives. Moreover the study of early
recordings has changed the way music is taught and studied at schools and
universities, as demonstrated by new, high-profile initiatives such as
CHARM (the AHRC-funded Research Centre for the History and Analysis of
Recorded Music).
All this flourishing activity could be brought to a halt by the proposed
copyright extension. I hope you will press for the retention of the
current 50-year copyright term, which is a sensible compromise between
encouraging creative industry on the one hand and ensuring public access
to our musical heritage on the other.
---------------------------------------
Some consequences of extending current copyright protection to 95 years:
THREAT TO EMPLOYMENT
- Many small companies issue out-of-copyright historic recordings on CD
- As well as their own staff they employ freelance transfer engineers
- UK companies specialising in the reissue of recording of classical music
include Divine Art, Dutton, Naxos, Nimbus, Pearl, Symposium, Testament.
Many more deal with pre-war popular music and jazz
- A change in the law could close this entire industry at a stroke
THREAT TO EDUCATION
- The availability of historic performances on record has transformed the
understanding of musical performance
- Numerous examples of use in schools, FE, and HE (the study of historic
performances forms a major strand in an increasing number of university
and conservatory programmes)
THREAT TO RESEARCH
- Cutting-edge research in music is being done in UK universities based on
evidence of early recordings (e.g. CHARM, the research centre funded by
the Arts and Humanities Research Council)
- Reissue market provides the essential materials - the subject would be
impossible without it
THREAT TO THE PUBLIC
- Rising interest in historic recordings evident from CD sales, online
discussion groups, specialist magazines (e.g. Gramophone, International
Record Review, Piano, Classic Record Collector, Record Collector), radio
programmes
- Unit sales for each CD are however too small to interest major record
companies in reissuing their backlists
- Preventing small specialist companies from doing this will render a major
part of our musical heritage inaccessible to the public.
**********************************************************************
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