Labour MP Ian Cawsey raised the issue of the recorded copyright term in the House Of Commons yesterday, asking the government to issue a statement on its intent regarding extending, or not, the copyright term enjoyed by labels and performing artists.
As much much much previously reported, record labels and recording artists want the government to extend the copyright term on recordings from fifty years, probably to 95 years, which would bring it in line with the US (though songwriters and composers enjoy a life plus 70 years copyright term). Though there is some parliamentary support for such an extension, and moves are afoot at a European level to extend the term, the UK government is still officially aligned to the 2006 Gowers Review of copyright law, which said there was no real case for extension.
Earlier this week the performer members of recording royalty collecting society PPL, ie recording artists, signed a letter to Gordon Brown demanding a government rethink on the issue. Presumably Cawsey's bringing up the issue in the House Of Commons this week was prompted by said letter.