Bollywood biggies want to increase copyright span of Movies to 95 years

Considering that the copyright life of films, much like written works, is 60 years, Bollywood bigwigs like Yash Raj Chopra and business chambers like FICCI have demanded that this be increased, like in the US, to 95 years from the date a film is made.

They have also demanded that film producers be given the copyright term since it is they who take the risk. Otherwise, they fear, once the copyright life ends, commercial entities will capitalize upon the opportunity once the films fall into public domain.

With government already in the process of amending the Copyright Act, the film fraternity has approached the HRD ministry for a quick decision.

The argument given by the film industry is that new platforms like satellite, internet, mobiles, Ipods have increased the commercial longevity of films and are garnering greater revenue than traditional cinema halls and new multiplexes.

The film industry also wants that descendants of legendary filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mehboob Khan, V Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and others — some of whom have seen hard times — should be able to exploit the timeless works of their creators in today's medium.

Src : TimesOfIndia