firetree.net I've just finished listening to Cliff Richard arguing for an extension to the term of performance copyrights. Could he be any more selfish?
Copyright is a limited monopoly designed to encourage artists to go out
and create original works, and thereby enrich us all. When Cliff Richard made his recordings, he knew that his rights would eventually
expire, nevertheless he felt that the potential rewards were worth his
time and artistic effort.
Now, years later he's complaining that he will no longer be able to
profit from his past work. But the copyright law was never intended to
enrich him, it was intended to encourage him to create new works. He's
free to go out and sing new sings, make new albums and give his fans
more of the music they love.
Rather than create something worthwhile and profit honestly from the
proceeds, he prefers to lobby for a change in the law that would cheat
his fans of their rights, and enable him to continue to make money
without actually doing anything to earn it.