[fc-uk-discuss] The letter (was 'First job')

[James Davis]

Tom Chance wrote:

> So propose something different? :) This is supposed to be a list of *doing* 
> things not talking :)

Give me a chance, I hadn't had my lunch :-) Something like...

Dear x,

Throughout it's short existence, the recording industry has sought to
increase it's financial control over our culture. We now move into an
age where our culture is more accessible, by more people, than ever
before in history. James Purnell, Minister for Creative Industries, has
announced plans to increase copyright terms, extending corporate control
over historically important works.

Recording industry lobbyists claim that extending copyright terms will
lead to further returns from a few, still profitable recordings from the
50s and 60s which can then be invested in new acts and artists. This
perhaps might be true, but such a move would also cause many tens of
thousands more unprofitable records to be kept out of the public domain
and moulder slowly in private hands. This would be an immeasurable loss
to current and future generations for the sake of increasing profits.

We should also remember that in a large number of cases the artists have
signed over their copyrights to the industry and the expiration of the
copyright over these works actually presents a significant opportunity
for artists to regain some control over their work once again. There is
nothing stopping an artist or for that matter record label, profiting
from work no longer under copyright whilst the public enjoy increased
access and the ability to reuse this work as musicians have done since
time immemorial.


...

?

-- 
http://jamesd.ukgeeks.co.uk/