ePolitix.com speaks to Dominic McGonigal, director of government relations at Phonographic Performance Ltd, about their involvement with the Copyright in Sound Recordings and Performers' Rights (Term Extension) Bill.

Click here to read an interview about the Bill with SNP MP Pete Wishart.

Question: Peter Wishart MP is publishing his private members' bill on February 27, what is the purpose of the Bill?

Dominic McGonigal: The purpose is to highlight the copyright gap between performers and producers, and all other creators. Under current European legislation, the composers, lyricists, photographers, writers all get life plus 70 years of royalties, whereas the musicians and record producers only get 50 years from the release date of the recording.

We have huge support in Parliament for an extended copyright term and removing the copyright gap. For example, the select committee for culture, media and sport recommended extending copyright last year. And an early day motion was signed by 90 MPs from across the political spectrum.

So there is growing political support and Pete Wishart's Bill is a very good way of demonstrating that.

Question: What involvement has PPL had with the Bill?

Dominic McGonigal: We've been involved right from the start. Two years ago, we asked our PPL performers what they thought about copyright and 6,000 of them signed a petition calling for extended copyright to close that copyright gap.

There is very broad support from the music industry.

Question: There has been some resistance from the government to the content of the Bill, why do you think this is?

Dominic McGonigal: I think it was rather unfortunate that the Gowers Review, looking into intellectual property, made a few fundamental errors in its economic analysis of copyright term. I think this is where the government has been led astray on copyright.

Question: How will this Bill be affected by the announcement that the European Commission could soon adopt a proposal to extend the copyright term to 95 years?

Dominic McGonigal: This completely changes the political landscape. The Commission is now going to put forward legislation, which will be debated by all the member states and by the European Parliament. The UK government will then have to decide whether it wants to support the proposal and so support the British musicians and the industry.

The EU proposal will give some extra weight to the Bill proposed by Pete Wishart. The package put together by Charlie McCreevy has been constructed in a way that will ensure it goes through as legislation.

Question: Should we follow the American model of 95 years copyright term?

Dominic McGonigal: Yes, that is what the European Commission is proposing, and that’s what is in Pete Wishart's Bill.

Question: Can you give any specific examples of famous artists that would lose their royalties if the law doesn’t change?

Dominic McGonigal: An example is Lonnie Donegan, who sadly died in 2002 while on tour. His widow Sharon is already starting to lose royalties from Lonnie's earlier recordings like Rock Island Line and Cumberland Gap. And their son, Peter, who's a young musician in his 20s, is wondering whether to carry on working over here or to move to the United States where the copyright term is more favourable.

Question: In general, do you think it's difficult for the music industry to get in front of government?

Dominic McGonigal: I think it has been difficult because the thousands of musicians who have come out in support of copyright term extension have so far been ignored.

The music industry is important to the British economy in terms of GDP and export earnings. The creative industries represent eight per cent of GDP, and are growing at twice the rate of the rest of the economy.

Question: Do you have any final comments for ePolitix.com readers?

Dominic McGonigal: Now is the time for the UK government to show its support for the thousands of musicians who continue to entertain us and make the world a better place.