The Political Thread

[CrazyFoxMachine]

I prefer prosecco myself.

You and Church are fighting on the same side then!

[Eamonn Clarke]

Me, I'm a Buckfast socialist

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

A buckfast bolshevic surely

[Hawkmumbler]

Does this make me a Thwaites Socialist.

[Steve Green]

European Parliament committee proposing copyright restrictions on commercial photographs of buildings.

http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2015/06/european-parliament-committee-adopts-controversial-pro-user-copyright-reform-report/?comments=1

Seems stupid to not just go with the freedom of panorama exemption.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_panorama

[Dandontdare]

that article says "commercial use of recordings of works in public spaces should require express permission from the rightsholders." - so I don't think it means photographing a public building but things like recording a performance by a band or artist in a public square. The rest of it seems eminently sensible.

[Steve Green]

On the Daily Politics this morning, it was stated to include more than that.

There are already instances like the Atomium in Belgium which are protected which has led to Wikipedia censoring it's page on it, or showing a photo of a model rather than the actual building.

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Atomium

[Steve Green]

http://petapixel.com/2015/06/20/alert-freedom-of-panorama-under-threat-in-europe/

[Dandontdare]

yeah that is a bit crap - guess it all depends on the definition of "works" - I didn't think you could copyright a building, but seems I'm wrong. I think if every guidebook and tourist brochure did blank out stuff like the atomium or London eye, the owners or city authorities would soon be very upset!

[Steve Green]

Yep, the Hollywood sign is another one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSSAOa-UUgA

[Spikes]

On the Daily Politics this morning, it was stated to include more than that.

There are already instances like the Atomium in Belgium which are protected which has led to Wikipedia censoring it's page on it, or showing a photo of a model rather than the actual building.

https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Atomium

That is rather bizarre, isn't it? I'm off to Belgium in a few days. I'll try not to photograph it...

[Professor Bear]

I know some of the board are self-employed or small business owners, so was wondering if they've made out as well in today's budget as all those kids who are now no longer living in poverty - admittedly because the government abolished the definition of "poverty" that would have meant two million more children would have been classed as such after today's budget, but it still counts.  The Tories have stopped two million children from living in poverty and no-one can take that away from them.

[Banners]

I know some of the board are self-employed or small business owners, so was wondering if they've made out as well in today's budget as all those kids who are now no longer living in poverty...

Speaking as someone rebelling against 'the man' rather than a greedy capitalist, Corporation Tax is going down, and my family at least is better off under the Tories (I know that's not a popular thing to say), but the maths and gobbledy-gook from today and implications for my business are too complicated for me to fathom.

What I'd really like from Govt is some awareness of 'micro' business ie. one-man bands or creative types of company with <10 employees – as when the Govt talk about 'small business' they are generally referring to companies that employ 100s of people (rather than 1000s), and whose needs are somewhat different.

For example, it is fair that my business is taxed at the same rate as Unilever, but because I can't afford creative accounting (nor would I want to), we pay more Corp Tax as a proportion?

Anyway, at least IDS was pleased. I wonder what the Subtitles did say?

[Professor Bear]

I was not surprised in the slightest to see that many on Twitter have drawn cocks in IDS' hands in that gif, and remember thinking it's a pity he didn't get quite as passionate about not killing vulnerable people as he did about cuts in tax rates for millionaires.

[Jim_Campbell]