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[The prepared statement of Mr. Dylan follows:] Prepared Statement of Bob Dylan
My name is Bob Dylan and song writing is my profession. Allow me to express myself concerning the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1995.
My first song was published by Witmark Music in 1961. My status at the time was 20 years old, unmarried, with no children. My situation changed to include a wife and family and the writing of many more songs.
The impression given to me was that a composer's songs would remain in his or her family and that they would, one day, be the property of the children and their children after them. It never occurred to me that these songs would fall into the pubic domain while my children are still in the prime of their lives, and while my grandchildren are still teenagers or young adults. Yet this is exactly what will occur if H.R.989 is not enacted.
Our current term of copyright is a flat 75 years for works written prior to 1978, and life plus 50 years for works written on or after January 1, 1978. This term is significantly shorter than the term of copyright adopted by the fifteen member nations of the European Union, the countries making up the European Economic Area and the numerous other countries which will be changing their copyright laws to provide for a term of life of the author plus 70 years.
The discrepancy between the term of protection offered to American creators and the term of protection offered to European creators is particularly striking. European audiences have always enthusiastically welcomed American popular musicians. They buy our records, they play our music over the airways, and they attend our concerts, often in sell-out crowds. And yet, due to the apphcation of the rule of the shorter term, our works will cease to be protected long before European works of comparable age. The enactment of H.R.989 will go a long way towards equalizing the playing field for American and European works and rectifying the injustice to American creators.
It is important for the congress to enact H.R.989, and its companion bill. S.483 this year.