The BBC has an interesting article about the threat to the National Librarys music archive from time & copyright. The main issue being that the library’s Sound Archive cannot copy audio from fragile or obsolete formats for posterity until copyright runs out.

The library said a “significant” part of the collection could “decay and be unavailable for future generations”. The Sound Archive holds more than a million discs, 185,000 tapes and many other sound and video recordings.

Without the right to make copies, the UK is losing a large part of its recorded culture. It currently collects about 75% of all music released commercially in the UK and also includes plays, poetry, speeches, interviews, and wildlife sounds. Launching its intellectual property “manifesto” on Monday, the British Library called on the government to ensure recordings are not left to rot.

“Currently the law does not permit copying of sound and film items for preservation,” the manifesto said. “Without the right to make copies, the UK is losing a large part of its recorded culture. “Many original audio and film formats we hold are becoming increasingly more fragile,” the library said, and “face irretrievable decay” if not preserved.

Read the full article here.
You can also download the National Library’s Intelectual Property Manifesto here.