Slashdot Mirror
UK Copyright Extension Not Happening
chiark writes "In a surprising move (surveys said that the public supports extending copyright), the UK will not extend copyright to 95 years following a recent study. Back when this was was covered on slashdot last year, I wrote to my MP and thought no more of it, but recently a UK thinktank has called for fair use to be enshrined in UK Law. Looks like the government is realizing that the public are the ones that vote 'em in or out." From the article: "Sir Cliff Richard and Jethro Tull had been among artists lobbying for copyright to last 95 years, rather than the present 50. The decision means that from 2008 Sir Cliff's earliest recordings will start to come out of copyright. "
Surely they can renew their copyrights for another 50 years. Wouldn't that solve everything?
I always thought that the whole idea of copyright law was basically to make sure that people who create things, whatever they may be, have the opportunity to profit from their time and effort. Given the previous statement, I have to admit that I feel fifty years is a pretty good run, and whatever royalties the aforementioned _might_ lose because of this expiration will be relatively small. They'll just have to go without that fourth ferrari.
Ironic that Ian Anderson named his band after Jethro Tull, who pioneered scientific agricultural methods, (like planting food in rows) and many improved tools. If Tull had doggedly protected HIS intellectual property, we would still be using the same tech we did in 1700.
Someone explain how this serves mankind?