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<p>Subject: <strong>MEPs back off from copyright term extension vote!</strong></p>
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<div>Dear Sound Copyright petitioner,</div>
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<div>Amid intense lobbying in the European Parliament next Monday's
vote on the proposal to extend the term of copyright has been struck
off in a shock move. Following a meeting of the presidents of the
political groups in the European Parliament on Tuesday, and with
controversy and a lack of consensus surrounding the proposal, MEPs have
delayed voting till the end of April - just before this summer's
European elections. A trialogue discussion between the European
Commission, Council and Parliament, set for the end of March, will now
attempt to broker a deal to see if the directive will be allowed to
pass.</div>
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<div>MEPs are waking up to the reality that the proposal to extend
copyright term doesn't do what it says. It's a terrible and unworkable
instrument that will do nothing but bring copyright into disrepute in
the eyes of consumers. If you're concerned about the need for a fair
and balanced copyright framework you must contact your MEPs now (1).
Make your voice heard!</div>
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<div>In other news this week Professor Martin Kretschmer, Director of
the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management
Bournmemouth, and Horace Trubridge, Assistant General Secretary of the
British Musicians' Union, have been debating the copyright term
extension proposal (2). Additionally copyright creators in the
Association for Fair Audiovisual Copyright in Europe have launched a
petition against the proposal (3).</div>
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<div>But right now the most important thing is to contact your MEPs (4)
and tell them why copyright term extension is a bad idea (5)! Use our
web banners (6) and spread the word.</div>
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<div> Yours, the Sound Copyright Team</div>
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<div>(1) <a
href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public.do?language=en"
target="_blank">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public.do?language=en</a>
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<div>(2)<a
href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/shane_richmond/blog/2009/03/16/%20copyright_extension_debate_we_must_not_inhibit_digital_creators"
target="_blank">http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/shane_richmond/blog/2009/03/16/
copyright_extension_debate_we_must_not_inhibit_digital_creators</a>_ </div>
<div>(3) <a href="http://aface.eu/" target="_blank">http://aface.eu/</a>
</div>
<div>(4) <a
href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public.do?language=en"
target="_blank">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public.do?language=en</a>
</div>
<div>(5) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijON_XODUk"
target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijON_XODUk</a> </div>
<div>(6) <a href="http://www.soundcopyright.eu/badges" target="_blank">http://www.soundcopyright.eu/badges</a></div>
<div>===</div>
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<div>The Sound Copyright privacy policy is linked from <a
href="http://www.soundcopyright.eu/about" target="_blank">http://www.soundcopyright.eu/about</a></div>
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