Britain Refuses to Extend Music Copyrights

The British government Tuesday refused to endorse an effort to change the copyrights on sound recordings to last at least 70 years, a move that has critics claiming the UK isn't supporting their artists. Currently, individuals can receive royalties for 50 years after the date a song was released.

United States artists receive copyright protection for 95 years, while Australian law dictates 70 years. The British government would have had to convince the European Union Commission to increase copyright expiration, but it said such a change would not benefit most artists and would incur additional costs. Representatives from British music industry groups said they would continue to push the EU directly on the issue.