Stop 43

Hi,
I just came across this site dedicated to stopping the Digital Economy Bill affecting copyright. I guess anything is worth a try!link

Regards - Pete

They already are having a problem because they can't breach foreign copyright law.
So if they want to use a photo they first need to check if UK copyright law applies and if you know that you will most likely also know who the copyright owner is

That sounds encouraging! so maybe the whole thing is just a storm in a teacup !

Regards - Pete

Yeah I think so, because the UK is part of the EU they need to acknowledge the copyright of other countries (unlike China) so I don't see a way how the UK government can grand you permission to violate copyright.

Besides that most photos are under an account name so I don't think you should worry too much. They aren't able to steal from flickr and sites like that.

Hmm there is an issue with foreign copyright law, but it is not that one. The copying of a work within the United Kingdom is covered by the copyright law of the United Kingdom - nothing which happens in the UK violates foreign copyright law because each country's copyright law only applies within that country.

HOWEVER there might potentially be some EU/WTO problems here, since in application these measures would be more detrimental to overseas copyright holders than to UK copyright holders - ie the rights of overseas authors under UK copyright law would be disproportionately affected.

As regards the original topic, whether we like it or not this is going to become law (the provisions regarding the internet are actually even more objectionable than those applying to photography). Big Content (who have close links with Mandelson - responsible for one of the yacht trips IIRC) and their chums in Parliament are desperate to have this forced through before the election because (ironically enough) this issue isn't a big priority for the Tories and thus this is likely their last chance.

Still, just because something is passed into law doesn't mean it stays there. Challenges under EU law in the ECJ (legally binding) or human rights grounds in the UK courts and ECtHR (technically legally binding, but without any binding enforcement) could well see the more offensive provisions dealt with after the fact.

That was what I mean