Elvis records public domain first.

More than 50 years after it was first recorded, Elvis Presley's My Baby Left Me - which lost its copyright protection in January - has entered the Top 40 as a public domain track, reigniting the term extension debate

The debate over recorded copyright extension has reached the UK singles chart for the first time, with a public domain Elvis Presley track yesterday (Sunday) poised for a Top 40 debut.

My Baby Left Me, which was recorded by Presley in 1956 and so lost its protection on January 1 this year, has been re-issued by Memphis Recording Service in what is the most high-profile exploitation yet of the 50-year copyright rule.

Under the rule, any label can issue a recording more than 50 years old without paying any royalties to the original label, performers or their estates. It has provoked fierce lobbying within the UK music industry to increase the term period, including a campaign undertaken by Music Week, although the UK Government last month declared it was backing the findings of last year's Gowers Review not to back term extension.

The release of My Baby Left Me, which has been sold exclusively through HMV and is distributed by Cargo, comes as Presley's own original label RCA continues to mark the 30th anniversary of his death with a singles re-issue programme. Its own re-issue Blue Suede Shoes was on course to join My ...