Kaiser Chiefs and U2 back copyright campaign

Kaiser Chiefs,U2 and Maximo Park are among 4,000 bands who have taken out a full page newspaper advert demanding "Fair play for musicians" today (December 7).

The musicians are calling for an extension of British copyright law on sound recordings from 50 to 95 years, to bring it into line with American provisions.

Performers including PJ Harvey, The ’s Pete Townshend, former member Paul McCartney, The Clash’s Paul Simonon have all signed the advert which appears in the Financial Times.

The advert states: “We call upon the UK Government to support the extension of copyright in sound recordings.”

The ad follows the publications of the Government-commissioned Gowers Report which recommended the protection should not be extended.

As previously reported, The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has campaigned for the UK to be brought into line with the US, which has a 95-year limit.

According to the Financial Times, the Government has accepted all the recommendations of the report which found the UK’s IP regime “fundamentally strong”.