4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Plans to shake-up AI copyright rules could be in breach of international law, warns top barrister
PLANS to shake-up AI copyright rules could be in breach of international law, a top barrister warned yesterday.
Nicholas Caddick KC said the Government could be taken to court over its proposal to let tech tycoons feed their algorithms for free using the works of British artists, filmmakers and writers.
GettyPlans to shake-up AI copyright rules could be in breach of international law, a top barrister warned[/caption]
Under the plans put forward by ministers, in order to stop AI bosses fleecing creative works, owners would have to formally “opt-out”.
In a legal opinion for the Publishers Association, Mr Caddick said the move could be a breach of World Trade Organisation convention, which the UK is party to.
The KC’s opinion has been sent in a letter to Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer.
The top barrister said: “There are strong reasons for arguing that in creating such an exception the UK government would be acting in breach of an international treaty to which the UK is a party — namely the Berne copyright convention.”
He adds: “The imposition of the exception may well be challenged by way of judicial review.”
Stars including Elton John and Paul McCartney, and every major newspaper in the UK, have urged the government to stop its “existential” plan to change copyright rules.
They say the proposals would likely be a death knell for the UK’s £125bn creative industry.
Responding to the legal opinion, Catriona MacLeod Stevenson, general counsel and deputy chief executive of the Publishers Association, said: “We urge the government to consider extremely carefully the risk that a new copyright exception contravenes the UK’s obligations under the Berne Convention and other international treaties.
“There is an opportunity now that the consultation has closed to pause on the exception and opt-out conversation and focus instead primarily on bringing in the transparency regulations that will support a fair and growing market for AI licensing.”
A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: “Our consultation into AI and copyright closed this week and we will now consider the full range of thousands of responses we have received through.
“No decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that gives certainty to British AI companies and protects the rights of our creatives.”
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on ‘Bro you don’t look like me, you’re very ugly’ – Cristiano Ronaldo takes issue with lookalike fan at Al-Nassr match
CRISTIANO RONALDO sensationally called a lookalike an “ugly” version of himself.
A CR7 doppelganger captured the eyes of Al-Nassr fans ahead of their Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Shabab on Friday night.
A Cristiano Ronaldo lookalike was in attendance for Al-Nassr’s clash with Al-ShababRonaldo, 40, was quick to tell the man that he doesn’t look like himThe five-time Ballon d’Or winner jokingly called his doppelganger fan “ugly”
The unidentified man played up his resemblance to the footie icon by styling his hair the same way and wearing a Portugal top.
He soon came to the attention of Ronaldo, who took time out of his warm-up to speak to him.
The 40-year-old said: “Bro, you don’t look like me. You don’t look like me.”
And as he retreated to continue warming up, he jokingly said: “You are very ugly.”
Footage of the incident went viral, and footie fans around the world couldn’t help but comment.
One said: “Ronaldo is funny, man.”
Another said: ” Does that mean Ronaldo called himself ugly?”
One remarked: “I guess when you’re the GOAT, even the jokes are on another level! At least the fan got a story to tell for life!”
Another chimed in: “I love his sense of humor hehe. Bro made his day…smiling, shining.”
Al Nassr were on course to run out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Ayman Yahya and Ronaldo, the latter of whom has now found the back of the net 26 times this campaign.
But Mohammed Al Shwirekh made sure the spoils were shared with a 67th-minute equaliser.
Ronado and his Al-Nassr team-mates will be back in action on Monday night, hosting Esteghal FC in the second-leg of their AFC Champions League last 16 tie.
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on DVSA cracks down on ‘ghost MOTs’ and drivers who need a certificate may have to do new check
MOTORISTS have been warned of a new check after authorities launched a scheme to crack down on fraudulent “ghost MOTs”.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is trying to reduce the number of fraudulent MOT pass certificates issued by centres across the UK.
GettyMotorists have been warned of a major change to the MOT test[/caption]
Testers at fraud centres often issue a pass certificate for a vehicle that did not even enter the garage for testing.
Not only is it an illegal practice, it could also lead to potentially dangerous vehicle faults, putting all motorists at risk.
To avoid this, testers at MOT centres could soon be required to take pictures of the cars while they are being checked for the passed certificate.
The pictures should show the front or rear of a vehicle and the number plate must be clearly visible.
Testers would then be required to submit the pictures to the official MOT website.
The upload technology will prevent pre-stored pictures being used, AutoexpressUK reports.
A DVSA spokesperson said in a statement: “We know ghost MOTs account for nearly 80 per cent of all fraudulent MOTs, making it a clear area for us to tackle.
“Knowing if a vehicle is where it should be at the time of test should reduce the number of MoTs carried out when the vehicle isn’t present.
“Potentially, both authorised examiners and DVSA will be able to see the images stored against the test record, and this will help all of us to crack down on fraud.
“It will enable us to focus our efforts on helping garages do the right thing, but also free up time to focus on those who are not and deal with them accordingly.”
Meanwhile, dozens of classic cars could face MOT tests for the first time to remain on UK roads.
At the moment, vehicles above the age of 40 are not legally required to undergo the annual safety check.
This is provided that the motors have not been substantially modified from when they were new.
But more than two in five who responded to a Department for Transport (DfT) public consultation agreed that safety checks should be introduced for cars more than 40 years old.
The consultation, which had just over 1,000 respondents, asked whether MOTs or similar checks should be made mandatory for classic and historic cars.
Although no decision has been made, it is a sign that the older vehicles could in future be subject to the checks.
CHECKOUT our one-stop checklist that will make sure you are prepared to pass your next MOT.
Tyres and wheels – Look out for damage to the sidewall of your tyres and make sure they’re sufficiently inflated.
Use the 20p coin test to make sure your tyres have the right tread depth, which should be 1.6mm all the way around across the central three-quarters of the tread pattern.
The outer edge of a 20p coin will be completely obscured if the tread is deep enough.
Also, be careful space-saver spare tyres could catch you out in the test, so replace them with standard tyres of the right type and size that fit properly before the test.
Lights – Check all of the car’s lights are working properly and are the right colour to pass an MOT test.
Have someone walk around the car and make sure they don’t flicker when tapped which could mean they need tightening or replacing.
This includes headlamps, parking lights, reversing lights, indicators, registration plate bulbs and, on more recent vehicles, daytime running lights.
Wipers and windscreen – Replace wipers that smear because they are probably worn out and top up the washer bottle.
General condition – Make sure the exterior of your car is up to scratch.
Any sharp edges or pieces of metal sticking out could cause a danger to other road users and will definitely fail the MOT test.
Inside a car – Your dashboard will pop up with flashing warning lights if anything needs to be fixed under the bonnet like power-steering or brake-fluid warnings.
Make sure you have a fully functioning speedometer or you will fail the MOT test
Ministers have pledged £8.3bn of taxpayer cash to the company to decarbonise the electricity grid over the next five years.
While Ms Reeves is eyeing up major cuts to Britain’s mega welfare budget – No10 insisted GB Energy is safe for now.
Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice said: “Scrap the whole of GB Energy.
“Scrap Net Stupid Zero. Job done.”
Meanwhile, ministers are set to axe mandatory quotas for electric cars after Nissan warned excessive targets and punishment fines would risk jobs at the company’s manufacturing plant in Sunderland.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We will do everything we can to make sure Nissan has that secure long-term future in the UK, making sure the business and regulatory environment reflects that.”
