What a noble man.

EU pays for, then ignores study on copyright extension

The European Union wants to add 45 years to the current 50-year copyright on musical recordings, arguing that aging performers can't afford to be cut off from sources of income just when they need them the most. In defense of this plan, Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's proposal said that no external expertise on the matter was required and, furthermore, that the (music-industry-provided) data he already had said the plan was a good one. Now, a prominent European academic is furious that his work--which the European Commission requested and paid for--has been totally ignored by the very Commission that signed off on the piece and published it.