Early Beatles songs may soon be out of copyright in Britain

Unless the British government decides to extend its copyright on sound recordings, records by such artists as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and many others will be up for grabs. Thestage.co.uk reported that musicians, songwriters and the British Phonographic Industry are urging lawmakers to extend the copyright term from 50 to 95 years. The British government will begin making its decision soon.

If the law stays as is, the Beatles' first hits, including "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "I Saw Her Standing There," "From Me To You," "Do You Want To Know A Secret," "She Loves You," "This Boy," "All My Loving," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand," will phase out of copyright in 2013.

In addition to the stars being cheated out of their royalties, other key performers and administrative personnel on the tracks, such as the session musicians, producers, and song publishers, will no longer receive any financial reward for their property and/or work.

The copyright laws are different in America, where the record label continues to own the rights to the recordings well after the 50-year mark. Under the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, sound recordings are protected for 95 years from the day of recording in the United States. The coverage for post-1976 recordings is the artist's life plus 70 years.
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