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BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Performing artists should be entitled to keep copyright on recordings for 95 years instead of the current 50 years, the European Union's internal market chief said on Thursday in a step cheered by top music acts like U2.
"I have not seen or heard a convincing reason why a composer of music should benefit from a term of copyright that extends to the composer's life and 70 years beyond, while the performer should enjoy 50 years, often not even covering his lifetime," Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told a news conference.
Performers who began their careers in their early 20s would get to their 70s and the copyright for their recordings would run out at a vulnerable time in their lives, he said.
"This should not impact on consumer prices," McCreevy said, adding most of the extra cash collected would stay in Europe.
The copyright extension will apply to recording companies as well as performers and bring the bloc into line with the United States.
The recording industry gave McCreevy the thumbs up.
"This is a proposal to give a fair deal to the next generation of music talent by giving new artists in Europe the same copyright term as their counterparts in the U.S.," said Paul McGuinness, manager of Irish rock band U2.
McCreevy will make his proposal by the summer. It would need approval from EU states and the European Parliament and come into effect by 2010 at the earliest.
Lawmakers would have to decide to what extent it could be applied retroactively, but the 95-year period would be mandatory for all EU states and pass to a performer's heirs until the term expired.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents recording companies such as Warner, EMI and Sony BMG, welcomed McCreevy's move.
"We applaud Commissioner McCreevy for the vision he has shown in keeping creativity right at the centre of the European economy," IFPI Chief Executive John Kennedy said.
Without the extension, early hits by the Beatles would lose copyright in 2012, but McCreevy said the move would mostly help session musicians, who often depend on royalties in retirement.
McCreevy said a "use it or lose it" provision would free performers to re-release their work under a different label or distributor like the Web if the original recording company was not interested.
COPYRIGHT LEVY
McCreevy also said he planned to relaunch public consultation on the copyright levy imposed in some states on devices like MP3 players and blank CDs used by people to make private copies of music, but said he had no intention of scrapping the levy.
The money raised is distributed to artists and some also goes to fund cultural events.
McCreevy was forced to back down in 2006 when he first tried to reform the copyright levy system after the French prime minister intervened, saying it would hurt European culture.
But companies like Philips and HP say the levy is a tax on products that varies enormously from one EU state to another, distorting the internal market.
"There is little coherence between member states as to how they apply these levies," McCreevy said.
EICTA, which represents EU electronics companies, said the current system bore no relation to how much copyright material was legitimately copied for private use.
On a 40 gigabyte MP3 player, the levy is two euros in Finland, up to 80 euros in Spain but zero in Ireland and Britain.