Christmas Adjournment

No, no. Who could forget either Judy Garland’s extraordinary rendition of ““Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas””? However, had those songs been issued in the UK, the vocal artists would long since have ceased to receive any royalties for their efforts. One could argue that none of those artists lived long enough to benefit from a copyright term in excess of 50 years, or indeed, needed the money that an extension would bring. Perhaps more recent examples of songs that are not yet out of copyright might be more appropriate, such as ““I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day””, which—as we all remember—was a terrific hit for Wizard, a pop group that otherwise had limited success. I shall not sing that one either. Why should they not receive remuneration for their efforts after the passage of an arbitrary term of 50 years after publication? An extension of the copyright term would not, as some have argued, simply make rich artists richer. For every Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney, there are a host of less well known singers, so called one hit wonders and backing singers for whom the revenue derived from their copyright royalties is essential. People buy records at this time of year for the singers. Why should those who have had enduring success not receive adequate remuneration for their efforts? Artists such as Dame Vera Lynn, whose songs have endured the test of time, are also deeply affected. Should not she, and others like her, at least for the course of their natural lives, be entitled to benefit from their talent and phenomenal success? Why should others grow rich from the sound of their singing while they are left with nothing? Because of an EU decree, British vocal artists are not entitled to the same protection as those producing similar material elsewhere in the world or those in other creative industries. They even cease to enjoy the fruits of their labour long before the protection given to composers—currently set at life plus 70 years—expires. I submit that the creative talent that gives us some of our best loved music and the voices that are synonymous with the songs that they sing are as unique as the lyrics and tunes of those songs. They deserve equitable protection under the law. So let us spare a thought for those artists at this time of year. I urge the Government and the Minister to support the campaign ““Fair Play for Musicians””, whose petition I have here. It is supported by 3,500 record companies—