i think wrinkly ****er cliff richards ran into legal properties holding on to royalties of records he released 50 years ago...

I think he lost as well, although I didn't keep up with what happened
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6186436.stm

Basically because he released the record 50 years back he stopped making money of it. So i think its 50 years from release in the UK, whether you're still alive or not. Seems a trifle unfair...