Reissue labels break rank over copyright: 'public domain' companies act to protect their interests.(News)

A new anti-extension lobbying group is threatening to undermine the truce brokered by the Music Business Forum on sound recording copyright law.

Weeks after the October 31 deadline set by the EC for submissions on its consultation on the term of protection directive, a group of companies working within the "public domain" territory is attempting to demonstrate there is no industry-wide consensus for extending sound recording copyright beyond the current 50 years in the UK.

The MBF last month managed to corral 21 disparate music business groups--including Bard, Aim, Aura, Basca, MMF, the MU, Pamra and PPL--to sign a letter asking the Government to press for a review of copyright term. Although there are differences between several of these groups on the length of term and how copyright should be applied, the move was important because it demonstrated the industry had a single message to the UK Government. Over the next couple of months, the EC will weigh the evidence and decide whether to instigate a review.

However, several companies led by Naxos and Pickwick and also including Prism, Delta, Marathon and Document are now organising a lobby to argue that the music industry is not speaking as one.

Naxos director Anthony Anderson says the message sent by the MBF of an industry-wide consensus is not accurate. "The majors have not woken up to the issue of copyright ...