Wednesday 20 August 2008

Gordon Brown's New "Number 10" Website Breaches Software Copyright

by john of gwent

It happens to every computer user in the world eventually. Something on the (new) computer plays up, the "support line" says 'your call is important to us' a hundred times before you slam the receiver down in frustration and then all you're left with is the 'net, right ? Well just look what I dug up when I went looking for help. Go take a look at this website.

GORDON BROWN is a Knock - Off - Nigel.

You've all seen the ad. Knock-Off Nigel was dependent upon his local ethnic video pirate to supply him with his knock-off DVD's but now he's learned to use the 'net to download the knock-off films himself. And Gordy has decided to follow his example.

Now for anyone who does not get it, I will explain. MOST blog sites work like this one, Blogger does all the hard work, runs all the software, and all I - or any author - needs to do is point the browser at the editors pages and off we go.

But for the serious blogger - like BBC journalists - there is an alternative. You run a program on your own web server and enjoy richer content, more control ... hell I'm starting to sound like their marketing people. (Arguably) one of the best of these is 'Wordpress'. Not least of all because it has highly customisable features achieved through 'templates' - layouts and schemas people who are good with images have laboured over and often let you have for free.

Why would they do that ? Well mainly because they hope if someone big wants something big done, they might just read the contact details of the people who copyrighted the layouts they offer for free, ring them up and pay for "something a bit more exclusive". So it is fundamental to the agreement whereby you are allowed to use these free templates that you leave the author's details and copyright intact.

NOT doing so without permission is the sort of offence that, well, that only the chinese or other undesirables would do in their knock-off workshops. Well, now it's the chinese, Dell Boy, and Knock-Off Gordon.

Because a cursory look around the new Number 10 website confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt it is built on such a template, but the author's copyrights are gone, and a stern 'Crown Copyright' warning is now in their place. Which would be all right if the author had given written permission for his design to be handed to the Crown. After all, it's their design. If they want to donate it to Gordon (or sell it to him for a fat wad), well, that is their choice.

But the author of this particular theme confirms he has no record of any approach to authorise such a change of rights.

All together now ...

"He's a knock - off gordon, la-la-la la-la"

Anyone know gordy's mobile phone number ? I'll send him the ringtone of the ad to remind him.

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