No copyright extension for songs

The copyright on sound recordings will not be extended after an independent review commissioned by the Treasury. 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. The review was conducted for Chancellor Gordon Brown by Andrew Gowers, a former editor of the Financial Times. His first big hit was Move It, recorded in 1958, when he was hailed as the British Elvis. Royalties 'gone' It also means the earliest official recordings from The Beatles, from 1963, will be out of copyright in 2013. Music journalist Neil McCormack told BBC Radio Five Live it was a blow to the industry. "This was set before the advent, the big boom of rock and roll. The boom in popular culture which has led to a whole vast number of people making their living from these royalties. "You can make a record in 1955 and have been getting royalties... been living on that and suddenly they're gone."