Oh goody!

EU Business tells us that copyright on recordings will now be extended to 70 years from 50 years because performers now live longer and find that when they have retired they no longer get the income they used to. Or something like that. Of course, quite a few of them never retire and appear again and again to bore us to tears. (I await the wrath of Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney fans.)

The commission had proposed extending the royalty rights to 95 years, in line with the United States, but EU governments decided on a 70-year period.

The new rules were adopted by the EU on Monday despite opposition from Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.

EU states will have two years to incorporate the new rules into their national legislations.

Presumably, we can now await extension of copyright after their death to benefit their families, in line with the infamous droit de suite.