I submitted a request to OPSI (HMSO) to release pictures of MPs and Lords under a free licence. They are a number of problems, for example OPSI don't own the copyrights. However, we can use their 'unlocking' tool to show there is a demand.
I find it amazing that thee aren't free pictures of our representatives. In the US, pictures of Senators and Representatives are Public Domain.
Anyway, to see more go to http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/2009/05/16/PhotographsOfLordsAndMPs .
2009/5/19 Joe Anderson computerjoe@gmail.com:
I find it amazing that thee aren't free pictures of our representatives. In the US, pictures of Senators and Representatives are Public Domain.
Pretty much all government stuff is PD in the US, here is is all Crown Copyright. Very annoying!
2009/5/19 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
2009/5/19 Joe Anderson computerjoe@gmail.com:
I find it amazing that thee aren't free pictures of our representatives. In the US, pictures of Senators and Representatives are Public Domain.
Pretty much all government stuff is PD in the US, here is is all Crown Copyright. Very annoying!
We should have pictures of every MP and Lord, at the very least. We have quite a lot, but we really need complete coverage. Glad Joe is on the case :-)
- d.
Added my name to the supporters. Crown copyright is annoying.
- Chris
On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 9:31 PM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
2009/5/19 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
2009/5/19 Joe Anderson computerjoe@gmail.com:
I find it amazing that thee aren't free pictures of our representatives. In the US, pictures of Senators and Representatives are Public Domain.
Pretty much all government stuff is PD in the US, here is is all Crown Copyright. Very annoying!
We should have pictures of every MP and Lord, at the very least. We have quite a lot, but we really need complete coverage. Glad Joe is on the case :-)
- d.
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Good find, I added my name too. But see the comment left by John Sheridan - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/CommentView/guid/bc8d9078-135a-4a75... It looks like some company called Dods owns the copyright on those photos.
Pete / the wub
2009/5/20 Chris Down neuro.wikipedia@googlemail.com:
Added my name to the supporters. Crown copyright is annoying.
- Chris
On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 9:31 PM, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
2009/5/19 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
2009/5/19 Joe Anderson computerjoe@gmail.com:
I find it amazing that thee aren't free pictures of our representatives. In the US, pictures of Senators and Representatives are Public Domain.
Pretty much all government stuff is PD in the US, here is is all Crown Copyright. Very annoying!
We should have pictures of every MP and Lord, at the very least. We have quite a lot, but we really need complete coverage. Glad Joe is on the case :-)
- d.
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
2009/5/20 Peter Coombe thewub.wiki@googlemail.com:
Good find, I added my name too. But see the comment left by John Sheridan - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/CommentView/guid/bc8d9078-135a-4a75... It looks like some company called Dods owns the copyright on those photos.
/Dods/ are publishers of Dods' Parliamentary Compaion, the standard reference work on, well, Parliament. I'm guessing that they take these pictures for their book, and license them back to the parliamentary website (etc).
On 2009-05-20 11:32:09 +0100, Andrew Gray andrew.gray@dunelm.org.uk said:
2009/5/20 Peter Coombe thewub.wiki@googlemail.com:
Good find, I added my name too. But see the comment left by John Sheridan - http://www.opsi.gov.uk/unlocking-service/CommentView/guid/bc8d9078-135a-4a75...
It
looks like some company called Dods owns the copyright on those photos.
/Dods/ are publishers of Dods' Parliamentary Compaion, the standard reference work on, well, Parliament. I'm guessing that they take these pictures for their book, and license them back to the parliamentary website (etc).
That's absolutely terrible in itself in my opinion.
It's ridiculous the Houses of Parliament lack their own, official photographs of their members. I mean the US Senate and Congress take them. And there's official photographs of most US federal officeholders.
I think if OPSI don't address this in that thread we could bring it up with our MPs/Houses of Parliament authorities (although I expect they're pretty busy atm!).
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