[Archive 2011-09-13] Copyright on musical recordings extended by twenty years in EU

Historical archive — originally published 2011-09-13. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The Council of the European Union voted yesterday to extend the term of copyright on sound recordings by twenty years, from 50 years to 70, preventing a number of early recordings of 1960s rock musicians including The Beatles from entering the public domain. The 1962 hit "Love Me Do" would have entered the public domain in 2012 if this legislation had not been introduced. EU member states have to enact the copyright extension within two years.

Two reviews of intellectual property rights in Britain have concluded it would not be economically beneficial to extend copyright terms on sound recordings. The Gowers Review of Intellectual Property in 2006 concluded extension of the copyright term would "negatively impact upon consumers and industry". The Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth in 2011 concluded it would be "economically detrimental". A study conducted by Bournemouth University's Center for Intellectual Property Policy and Management concluded 72% of the economic benefits of the term extension would go to record labels, with 28% going to artists, only 4% of which are going to less successful artists.

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