Incompetech.com is a wonderful website that offers hundreds of original music tracks for free use. Most are released under a Creative Commons licence (a few are now in the public domain) and the only stipulation is that you must include a credit for the composer: Kevin MacLeod.

It isn’t a lot to ask. But still some people can’t be bothered.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, is one of a list of people who have used a track, but give no credit. Her video Capitol Cat Cam, which uses the music track ‘Scheming Weasel’, has been watched on YouTube more than 325,000 times.

In his blog, Kevin MacLeod puts a brave face on the situation. But I say it is absolutely disgraceful that even people in government show this blatant disregard for creative people and their work. They should set an example.

I hope this won’t deter Mr MacLeod. Some of us appreciate his generosity and music.

‘The steady expansion of the “surveillance society” risks undermining fundamental freedoms including the right to privacy,’ according to a House of Lords report published today.

Read more at The Guardian

Meanwhile the British Journal of Photography reports that a new law, due to be introduced this month, ‘is expected to increase the anti-terrorism powers used today by police officers to stop photographers, including press photographers, from taking pictures in public places.’

The unemployed are a favourite target for government ministers and tabloid headline-writers. But, strangely, unscrupulous business-owners rarely get a mention.

(more…)

BBC Panorama reports on a European investigation which suggests that a VAT (sales tax) scam may have cost the UK up to £8.4 billion (£8,400,000,000).

The theft comes from so-called ‘carousel fraud’, where crooks repeatedly import and export high value goods such as mobile phones, failing to pay VAT but then claiming it back from the government.

If this figure is true, it amounts to £140 for every person in Britain.