Ageing rock stars were given the hope of a boost to their pensions yesterday after the European Parliament voted to extend performance copyright from 50 to 70 years.

The news marks a partially successful end to a campaign led by Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Paul McCartney and Roger Daltrey to keep the royalty cheques for their early hits rolling in.

However, the wheels of the EU have turned too slowly for them to continue to profit from some of their most venerable work.

The vote by MEPs yesterday reduced the proposed protection from 95 years to 70 to win the agreement of EU member states, which were divided over the original plans. The measure must still be passed by individual countries, and even if this is done by this summer, only recordings made in the 50 years before that point will qualify for the extended copyright.

This means that Sir Cliff will lose control of income from his first hit, Move It, as well as from Living Doll, his fourth single, written by Lionel Bart and recorded in late April 1959, which sealed Cliff’s place as Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley.

This will not necessarily dismay him. Sir Cliff was unavailable for comment yesterday at his holiday retreat in Barbados, but when he travelled to Brussels last year for talks on the proposals he said: “I’m absolutely fed up with singing Living Doll but I have sung it constantly since 1959 because every time I sing it live, it generates sales of the original record and royalties to me.”

A generation of pop pensioners would have seen their performances begin to fall out of copyright in the next few years under the 50-year rule, with the Beatles’ first hit, Love Me Do, for example, passing the 50-year limit in October 2012.

The measure voted on yesterday aims to extend protection for the royalties earned by musicians for their part in recorded performances, not to be confused with copyright for the creators or authors of works and their descendants, who have protection that lasts for 70 years after their death.

Move It, recorded by Cliff Richard and the Drifters, who later changed their name to the Shadows, was written on a London double-decker bus by the Drifters guitarist Ian “Sammy” Samwell. It reached No 2 in the charts and began Sir Cliff’s six-decade career. To placate critics who said only wealthy stars would benefit from the extended copyright, the package agreed yesterday also has a provision for record companies to set aside 20 per cent of the additional royalties for a fund for session musicians.

Neena Gill, a Labour MEP from the West Midlands, said: “Despite the glamorous image of the most famous, we need to remember that the vast majority of musicians are on a modest wage, and rely on royalties when they get older.

“Especially during the current climate, like all other workers these people need to be protected. This new law will do precisely that.”

Charlie McCreevy, the EU’s Internal Market Commissioner, who proposed the copyright changes, said: “Some might argue that European creators are overprotected. Those who rely on copyright for their income would beg to differ. If artists stay in the music recording business because it pays to do so, consumers would enjoy more variety as a consequence.

“Europe’s performers often live a very precarious existence at the best of times. This proposal ensures that performers can, in their late life, recoup a share in the income they generate.”

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