Copyright extension is the enemy of innovation -Times Online

This open letter is a very hard-hitting and on-the-money response to the planned extension of copyright terms: Copyright extension is the enemy of innovation -Times Online.

"The simple truth is that copyright extension benefits most those who already hold rights. It benefits incumbent holders of major back-catalogues, be they record companies, ageing rock stars or, increasingly, artists’ estates. It does nothing for innovation and creativity. The proposed Term Extension Directive undermines the credibility of the copyright system. It will further alienate a younger generation that, justifiably, fails to see a principled basis. Many of us sympathise with the financial difficulties that aspiring performers face. However, measures to benefit performers would look rather different. They would target unreasonably exploitative contracts during the existing term, and evaluate remuneration during the performer’s lifetime, not 95 years..."

Read my various comments comments on Copyright 2.0 here