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p2p news / p2pnet: The Big Four Organized Music cartel's BPI is demanding that the UK government nearly double the period of copyright for music tracks.

The BPI (British Phonographic Industry), "will tell a review into intellectual property rights commissioned by the Treasury that copyright protection in this country must be extended to 95 years, the level enjoyed by American music recordings," says the Independent. "In the UK and the rest of Europe, music recordings have 50 years' protection."

The "disparity" means some songs by the likes of The Beatles and Rolling Stones will enter the public domain, but, "The length of copyright protection in this country falls under European law," says the story. "So to accede to the record companies, the British Government would have to take the case to Brussels.

"New Labour has shown itself to be particularly enamoured of the 'creative industries' so the plea from the record companies may be well received by the Treasury."

The story has Cliff Richard whining that once songs are out of copyright, he has no control about how the recordings are used - for instance, for promoting products.

However, Britain's EMI, Vivendi Universal, (France), Sony BMG (Japan, Germany) and Warner Music (US), not the creators, will be the beneficiaries of copyright extention into the next century.