US Congress mulls extending copyright yet again – to 144 years

[tangor]

The US Congress is looking to extend copyright on some sound recordings to a staggering 144 years – making it the twelfth time copyright rules have been extended since the 1970s.

The CLASSICS Act being debated in the Senate and House would create a new federal copyright rule for sound recordings made between 1923 and 1972 that would keep them out of the public domain until 2067.

[theregister.co.uk...]

And the beat just keeps going on and on and on and on and...

[keyplyr]

The great grand kids have to eat too :)

Literally the 12th time corporate revenue put ahead of society and culture

It's not always "corporate revenue." Many copyright owners are individual artists/songwriters who are independent of any "corporate" interests. I'm one of them.

[tangor]

It's not always "corporate revenue." Many copyright owners are individual artists/songwriters who are independent of any "corporate" interests. I'm one of them.

How many recordings did you make between 1923 and 1977?

[keyplyr]

Copywrite owners do not have to record the tunes they write.

To answer your question though, I performed on probably 30 recordings by 1977, only 2 of my own compositions.

If the proposed amendment(s) go into effect, it won't really change things that much because of existing extensions that are already allowed: [apassion4jazz.net...]

I do think it is the major copywrite holders that have the political leverage to get things changed and not the independent songwriter, so corporate interests are likely the motivating source as the cited article says.

If it does get amended, I'll have to change my chart :)

[tangor]

Since the thrust of this is sound recordings, and those between 1923-1977, and these have already been extended 97 years, going to 144 won't make any real difference as far as those of us in the public domain chomping at the bit to legally use this category of "protected" songs. The only "industry" that apparently benefits is the music corps. to keep a stranglehold on what few assets they historically own since there ARE so many others choosing to walk alone. Sadly, this is as desperate as a drowning man grasping at straws to stay afloat as, obviously, that body of work is static, does not grow, and loses value year on year.