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The ‘Right to Parody’

George_Orwell_Beer_and_Bingo_parody_@_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons

At Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Reading a learned piece from lobbyists at The Open Rights Group about the ‘Right to Parody’.

In it, ORG calls once more for the UK to adopt an exemption in law comparable to those in countries including Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Cartoonists have long operated without the safety net of a ‘Right to parody’ that the ORG champions. Typically, we have survived by being ignored, endured or tolerated by a powerful enough patron. For the truly keen, I wrote a long piece about the changes to my business back in 2009.

The democratisation of publishing technology unleashed by IT and spread by the internet has enabled very many other people to play in the fun and nastiness that the publication of satire allows. I’ve always thought this was healthy despite the challenge it can pose to the law of copyright and occasionally to defamation.

Equally, it is also a truism that you know who is in charge of a society when you are told what you may not do.

The wave of self-expression in parody has become so large that even the legal establishment has had to take notice of it. It is to be hoped the exemption of a ‘Right to parody’ is granted before the next general election.

Parody_gillray_gout_cartoon_@_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons

After James Gillray @ Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Updated 27th March 2014: The draft statutory instrument outlining the exemption to copyright for parody has been published by the government. It should come into force on June 1st.

Updated 8th May 2014: It was reported that the exemption discussed above was delayed. At the time of writing it is unclear why.

Updated 30th July 2014: The Open Rights Group reports some nice news, the exception is (finally) approved.

Cartoon: Ask a Policeman

Cartoon_Ask_A_Policeman_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons_for_tribunecartoons.com

© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for tribunecartoons.com

Raised eyebrows following the Ellison Review and the disclosure of the scale of document destruction at the Metropolitan Police following the Lawwrence murder and its subsequent enquiries into corruption.

Cartoon: Cloud or Fog

Cartoon_Cloud_or_the_Fog_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_cartoons_for_TobiasGrubbe.com

© Matthew Buck Hack cartoons for TobiasGrubbe.com

Cartoon extracted from Tobias Grubbe.

Cartoon: The State and Surveillance

Cartoon_UK_Security_and_State_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons1

© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

Cartoon: ‘One rogue officer’

Cartoon_Metropolitan_Police_corruption_07_03_15+© Matthew_Buck_Hack_cartoons

© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons

‘One rogue officer’ is one of those comforting homilies told to people inclined to be skeptical of what they are told when there is a scandal in the police service.

Cartoon: After Stephen Lawrence

Cartoon_We_Predict_A_Riot © Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for The Independent

© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for The Independent

The long running scandal of the Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of Stephen Lawrence has received another unwanted life following the Ellison review. The findings are appalling. You can understand Doreen Lawrence’s wish for some criminal charges against policemen. I wonder if she will get any.

There’s a piece of explanation about the ‘recently discovered’ context to the murder from The Independent here.

This cartoon originally made for The Independent in a different context. Let’s all hope it stays that way.

Cartoon: Russia, Ukraine and the Crimea

Cartoon_Putin_of_Russia_Ukraine_Crimea_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons_for_http://tribunecartoons.com

© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for http://tribunecartoons.com

Europe is apparently unable to do much about Russia’s apparent re-annexation of the Crimea from the Ukraine because it is very dependent upon its gas supplies. The BBC provide a handy round-up of the strategic geo-politics here.

An anecdotal observation to support the idea of a changing power relationship is the recent sponsorship of the Champions League football by Gazprom, the Russian energy conglomerate.

The cartoon belongs to a memory of an aged British Gas advertising campaign.

Video: Russia in Ukraine

Cartoon_Russia_in_Ukraine_2008_©_Matthew_Buck_Hack_Cartoons

Click the picture to watch the video © Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for Channel 4 News in 2008

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Cartoon: #BBCQT 20th Feb 2014

#BBCQT caricatures 20-02-14 G Matthew Buck for Drawnalism.com

© Matthew Buck for Drawnalism.com

Speed drawing from the television.

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