In the same week that IPO consultation on term extension begins, Sony attempt to preempt the ‘Directive 2011/77/EU’ ‘use it or lose it’ clause concerning rights owners who fail to, “offer copies of the phonogram for sale in sufficient quantity or does not make it available to the public, by wire or wireless means” (Official Journal of the European Union) in the extended 20 year period. Failure to do so would result in the performers being able to terminate the agreements they have with the “phonogram producer” in order to exploit these recordings elsewhere.

This limited release (100 copies!) Bob Dylan: 50th Anniversary Collection of recordings made in 1962 and 1963 could signal the beginning a landslide of similar releases as increasing tranches of commercially viable material begin to enter the extended period. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, British Invasion etc…