Dick Eastman has just posted something which I thought was a wind up at first, but after a bit more reading appears to be genuinely true. On his blog he has just announced that 15 Irish newspapers want to charge people a license fee to place links to online stories covered in any of their titles, because they see the use of a URL as a breach of copyright. See http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2013/01/irish-newspapers-will-now-be-ignored.html.
Upon a bit more digging I have found a post on a Dublin based solicitor's blog at www.mcgarrsolicitors.ie/2012/12/30/2012-the-year-irish-newspapers-tried-to-destroy-the-web/ on the subject, and it appears that this is no joke - except, of course, for the fact that it produces the same reaction of uncontrollable laughter from those being asked to take it seriously.
Seriously lads - give over, before I ask my youngest son to do a Podge and Rodge impression on YouTube and describe you as a bunch of feckless rogues... :)
(With thanks to Dick Eastman)
PS: If anyone wants to link to this story, please feel free to do so with my blessing.
Chris
Pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, through Pen and Sword (30 April 2013), or purchase early at Who Do You Think You Are Live 2013 in London. For my other genealogy books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.
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