The council, for reasons best known to itself, has banned a group of amateur historians from
taking pictures of the city's historic graves unless they apply in
writing for permission on a ‘case by case’ basis.
Members of the Jewellery Quarter Research Trust in Birmingham had
been compiling an online database of the many famous, and not so famous,
people buried in the historic Warstone Lane and Key Hill Cemeteries.
The voluntary group’s website contains a database with lists of graves and in some cases biographies, obituaries and photographs or portraits of the deceased.
There is also a Google Street View-style 360-degree photographic tour of the cemeteries.
However, they have now been banned from taking photos of each gravestone unless they apply in writing for permission on a ‘case by case’ basis.
The voluntary group’s website contains a database with lists of graves and in some cases biographies, obituaries and photographs or portraits of the deceased.
There is also a Google Street View-style 360-degree photographic tour of the cemeteries.
However, they have now been banned from taking photos of each gravestone unless they apply in writing for permission on a ‘case by case’ basis.
For why?
Here is a spokesman from the council explaining to ITV the council's "rationale":
What concern is to the council what people do with photographs of gravestones?Here is a spokesman from the council explaining to ITV the council's "rationale":
Is it now forbidden to take photographs of gravestones?
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I suppose that the council is overreacting to the threat that people may use the names and the dates of birth (which is often shown on gravestones) for identity theft.
ReplyDeleteHowever, a would be fraudster has plenty of access to such information.
I suspect it is more about local Nanny "Getting her cut" and little to do with anything else.
ReplyDeleteNanny, at all levels, in my opinion is like a gangster always wanting a cut of the action.
In this case, I suspect the "agreement" will include some kind of license or permit provision which will ensure Nanny gets a nice little earner from it....Kerching.
I suspect, given it is a historic graveyard, the data regarding the deceased will not be useful for identity theft so it will, one way or another, come down to money and Nanny's cut.
They should just ignore Nanny and her minions and go ahead taking their photographs! AS far as I know, it's not an offence to take photographs in this country (yet!) provided they are not used for a criminal purpose.
ReplyDeleteHave we forgotten NuLabour's reign of terror which included people being harassed/arrested for taking photos of buildings under (the misuse of) RIPA? Can't imagine which law they'd dredge up for this.
ReplyDeleteJay