UK Govt Hopes to ‘Profit’ From Anti-Piracy Measures

[HardOCP News]

The UK is planning on increasing sales tax to fund a piracy education and warning system. I sense a wave of "get your priorities straight" jokes coming.

The UK Government is working with copyright holders and Internet providers to roll out a piracy education and warning system. Information obtained by TF shows that the Government has no marketing budget left to spend on the measures, and that it will justify the spending with an expected increase in sales tax.

 

[bucketlist]

Pay up you subjects, the queennie needs your money to fight these evil people!

 

[cyclone3d]

Yeah.. increasing the taxes is going to help.. All that will do is drive the prices up and cause people to pirate even more.

 

[xorbe]

Yeah.. increasing the taxes is going to help.. All that will do is drive the prices up and cause people to pirate even more.

What he said.

 

[MoFoQ]

I bet the Scots are kicking themselves in the arse now.

 

[Jadawin]

Did anyone - including Steve -READ the article at all? No? Thought so.

It's not about increasing the sales tax at all. It's about the UK government spending money to fight piracy. And they are justifying spening this money by expecting that it will lower piracy and increase sales. Less pirates, more paying customers - and therefore increase the income from sales tax.

 

[Wrecked Em]

Did anyone - including Steve -READ the article at all? No? Thought so.

It's not about increasing the sales tax at all. It's about the UK government spending money to fight piracy. And they are justifying spening this money by expecting that it will lower piracy and increase sales. Less pirates, more paying customers - and therefore increase the income from sales tax.

That sounds like commie talk to me.

 

[xorbe]

Did anyone - including Steve -READ the article at all? No? Thought so.

I bought the book "Reading for Dummies". Clearly the title indicates that reading is only for dummies, so I stopped there.

 

[HyperTension]

That's all well and good....

However....

I'm pretty sure the old formula of tightening things down re: piracy = more money to PAC's, various "interest groups", anti-piracy programs (don't get me started) has worked so very well in the past......

 

[HyperTension]

wait.. the money is going to the artist / business.. my bad, silly me.

 

[MisterHipster]

Fuuuuuuuuck the UK government.

 

[schmuckley]

"While the campaign is a private initiative the Government has decided to back it financially with several million pounds." UK version of SOPA

"To be able to get the exception the Government needs additional information from the entertaining industries, showing that the investment makes sense financially." cough cough..Pay up UK SOPA!
If we're going to extort the citizens,you have to pay a bribe!

 

[Jagger100]

Lots of Doctor Who bootlegging? Is that really a problem?

 

[plupien79]

This is just like the War on Drugs all over again.

Instead of pissing money away trying to combat piracy, why not make the legal methods easier to access?

Just my crazy thoughts here.

What's next... mandated purchases to make sure you're not a pirate?