§ 34. Mr. Harmar Nichollsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider amending the copyright laws so that operas, which represent some of the finest examples of British light music, will be protected from arrangers.
Mr. H. WilsonThe question of a general review of the law of copyright, which will include the Question raised by the hon. Member, is now under consideration.
§ Mr. NichollsWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the special difficulties in the case of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, where Sir Arthur Sullivan's music loses protection in November of this year whereas in the case of W. S. Gilbert's libretti protection goes on until 1961, and please avoid it coming under the process of the "shreds and patches" of Tin Pan Alley?
Mr. WilsonI would join with the hon. Member in deploring the performance of Sullivan's music in what I understand is technically called "jive," "bebop" and such terms.