In most countries the limit on a copyright exists for the span of about 50 years, that's to say, yoiu as a copyright holder hold that copyright for a maximum of 50 years, after that it goes into what's called Public Domain where anyone is free to use the material, whether its recorded music or whatever.

The EU under pressure from some older musicians and record companies, most notably EMI who hold the rights to the Beatles catalog, have extended the limit to a music copyright to 95 years. There's obviously a case to both sides of this, musician's expect to gain a payment for their work for as long as it's being used, and if that's impractical, at least for the span of their lives. But, really, now that the precedent has been set, what's to say that at the end of the 95 years the Beatles' various estates aren't going ot be pushing for an even longer span on copyright? I dont like the smell of that at all, esoecially since by then, the people doing the campaigning will have had nothing to do with the works they're reaping royalties from, nothing except that their grandfather recorded on it 100 years before.

More info: entertainment.timesonline.co.uk