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Do you think extending the copyright, as we're trying to do here, will make a difference there?
Mr. Jones. Yes, I do. I think it could be a strong factor in a young person determining whether they want to be a composer or a songwriter, very much so.
Mr. MOORHEAD. Well, I have no further questions, but I'm sure that our ranking minority member of our committee, Pat Schroeder of Colorado, will.
Mr. Jones. I just wanted to say one more thing. Probably in 3 or 4 years all of the rules will have to be rewritten anyway because we are, as we step out of the industrial revolution century into the century of information and computers, it will be unbelievable.
There was a question asked before about the Internet. It will become one global unit, and I can feel that already, the way we do interviews now and the way we would be doing them in 2000, when you do satellite interviews. Twenty years ago, when America had totally dominated the record field, we would have our records released here and become hits, and 2 years later maybe they would be released in the European countries. Today they may come out in Europe before they come out in America. And it's become such a global and unified situation that it seems to me like it makes a lot of sense to have — ^at least be equal with our European counterparts.
Mrs. Schroeder. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you very much for being here this morning.
Basically, what I thought I heard you sa5dng is public benefit doesn't seem to work because, even when there is no copyright, the price doesn't go down?
Mr. Jones. That's right.
Mrs. Schroeder. So that somebody is pocketing it?
Mr. Jones. The wrong people are making the money.
Mrs. Schroeder. The question is, who pockets it; right?
Mr. Jones. Right, with the manufacturers.
Mrs. Schroeder. And I think most of the consumers don't understand any of this, so that they wouldn't know to look for a cheaper product because it's now out from under copyright.
Mr. Jones. Right. That's the example with the Tolstoy book.
Mrs. Schroeder. And that is really one of the issues that concerns you. Either we've got to get the consumer smarter and get the price down or you may as well keep the person who created it, give them the property right and let them get it. Somebody's being unjustly enriched.
Mr. Jones. You're absolutely right, and I think that the main point is to inspire our young people to want to be in this field. It would be very easy to say it's not worth the trouble. It takes a long time to develop a musical background, and with some of my kids I try to discourage them from being in music because it's a very touch-and-go type of a profession and the first 30 years are the hardest. [Laughter.!
And if you do happen to get lucky later on — ^but it's a very tough profession, and I think every type of encouragement should be right down front and there for them.
Mrs. Schroeder. So your last 19 years have been great; right? [Laughter.]