h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I say this due to this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7400268.stm

"A Doctor Who fan is embroiled in a row with the BBC after she published knitting patterns for the sci-fi drama's monsters on the internet.

The patterns of Ood and Adipose were removed from her website after the BBC's commercial arm complained that they breached its copyright.

But the woman said the corporation was "making an example of her".

BBC Worldwide said it acted because finished figures were being sold by others on auction website eBay.

It also denied threatening legal action and said it had offered to consider marketing the designs itself."

We already pay for the production of this programme through our TV licence.

It is quite obvious that the programme is now directly tailored towards children and the lucrative merchandising lines that can be created from it.

The BBC have simply seen that they could be making even more money from the programme.

A great bit of PR from the BBC regarding its 'flagship'programme and what it's really all about.

It's this bit that gets me:

""But there were some unscrupulous people taking these patterns and using them on eBay to make profit for themselves. Unfortunately, we had to get to the source of the patterns - and that was her website.""

Basically saying they can't get to the people doing the Bad Thing of maybe making a coupld of quid off some knitted dolls, so they go after the person doing nothing wrong!

So the BBC admits to going after the easy target, rather than contacting ebay and asking them to remove the listings, or perhaps getting a court order for the details of the sellers so they could go around and confiscate their knitting needles!

I'm just glad they never had my mum up in court when she knitted my son four Tellytubbies many years ago, then gave the pattern to loads of other people!

Or perhaps Tellytubbies not so sexy?

And we are talking about BBC Worldwide the BBC's 'commercial arm' whose motto should be 'making profit out of your licence fee money.' They do of coruse say they reinvest the momeny into programmes. Where into programmes I am still not sure with the rubbish they churn out these days esp BBC3 'Public-access Chav TV'.

And here is what BBC worldwide do...keep charity money...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7392213.stm

'The BBC is to broadcast an apology after admitting a subsidiary company kept £106,000 from premium-rate phone- ins that should have gone to charity.

A further £6,000 will be donated after viewers were accidentally told to ring in to vote in last year's UK Eurovision final when lines were closed.

The errors were discovered during an audit for the BBC Trust.

The money was being kept by call handler Audiocall, which is owned by commercial subsidiary BBC Worldwide.'

To be fair, the BBC Media company (or whatever it's called) that sells merchandise and DVDs and stuff is separate from our very own British Broadcasting Corporation. I gather that the Beeb sell commercial rights for things to this company, and they go about their nown profit-making ways.

making a profit is a good thing. when did it become something bad?

I have to say, I always assumed the BBC was both a money-making macind AND a public broadcaster...

This story is unpleasant but there we go, I find a lot of 'business' abhorrent.

The BBC is both a public service broadcaster and money-making business. Its commercial arm helps raise the money that means that it can make high-budget series like "Doctor Who" and "Robin Hood". Sorry if this is treading on its toes but it's a Very Good Thing that it does this indeed. Without it we'd probably go back to the days of everything being on videotape and in-studio.

And, as someone who hates the strident attitude to IP that gets taken these days as much as anyone else with any common sense, I have to say you can hardly single-out the BBC for criticism on this particular issue.

"on its toes"

I meant on anyone's toes.

*votes for edit function again*