Cliff in campaign for royalties extension

18/04/2006 - 14:08:14
Cliff Richard is backing a campaign by the UK music industry to extend the number of years musicians can receive royalties for their work.

Currently, performers in the UK receive payments for 50 years, at which point their work goes out of copyright.

However, Cliff says they should be given the same rights as songwriters, who get royalties for life plus 70 years. According to the singer, many musicians born in the 1950s rely on their copyright payments as pensions.

He insists that singers were as crucial to the success of pieces of music as their composers.