Burnham made the surprise announcement at the UK Music creators conference this morning. He told the conference at the ICA that he and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) Secretary of State John Denham agree 70 years is a fair length of term because he wants to see the benefits go back to performer.

The move is a major victory for the music industry, which has been campaigning for term extension for years. It has consistently come up against ...