Global Journey Music Blog Aug 06

Copyright control in principle benefits society as it empowers the creator of an original work by providing suitable recompense to provide a degree of financial stability which allows the popular artists / writers the freedom to focus on other works which will benefit society. However, copyright law does not exist to allow corporations and descendants of long dead artists to a seemingly indefinite benevolent fund at societys expense. A copyright term of 70 years after death is as ludicrous as it is detrimental to the creative process.

Within the last 30 years copyright control has gone from a simple set of rules dedicated to ensuring the suitable recompense for the artist/writer/composer to what it has become today, an obstruction to the creative process and involving a whole series of machinations designed by corporations to create a climate of confusion and fear in order to protect their cash cow.

Another often overlooked consequence of extended copyright terms is that these terms become a tax on the poor. Many large copyright-holding corporations are only too pleased to grant access to "their" works once their financial terms have been met. This automatically places a tariff on production costs and consequently also on retail prices. In many instances consumers will pay the extra money involved if they want/need the work so much but equally there are many people who cannot afford to pay inflated retail prices and will be denied an opportunity to; see, hear or read a work of art and consequently be denied the possible inspiration that a struggling artsit needs to fuel the creative process.

Copyright tariffs as they stand stifle creativity and yet we are contantly being told by large copyright-owning companies that these tariffs should be increased!! Until such time as the copyright term is lowered to a reasonable level, such as 25 years, greed will always subjugate creativity.

Peter.