Tony Blair comments on the Church of England's complaints against Sony |
Everyone has their own say about the Church of England's dispute against Sony, and earlier we've just covered a game developer's insight about it. Now, it's none other than Prime Minister Tony Blair putting his own two cents into the matter. And it looks like he agrees with the Church as far as companies like Sony should start acting more responsibly is concerned.The topic about cathedrals being shown in videogames popped up just today, in a recent session of Prime Minister's Questions - with Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd putting forward the question himself. Here's his exact question, just so you see how he asked it - it's interesting to see that he cites Sony's legal tactics before going into the actual heart of the matter.
When large organisations like Sony find their copyright has been breached, they're very quick to use the law.
Would the Prime Minister agree with me then that when Sony used images of Manchester Cathedral as part a game which extols gun violence, this was not only in bad taste but also very, very insulting to not simply the Church of England, but people across the land who think it's inappropriate that big corporations behave in this way?
What's more interesting is The Prime Minister's response to it. Here it is, verbatim:
I agree with my honourable friend. I think it's important that any of the companies engaged in promoting these types of goods have some sense of responsibility and also some sensitivity to the feelings of others.
I think this is an immensely difficult area, the relationship between what happens with these games and its impact on young people. I've no doubt this debate will go on for a significant period of time, but I do agree. I think it is important that people understand there is a wider social responsibility as well as an interior responsibility for profits.
While he doesn't exactly agree on the Church's stand, he does agree about the part about companies being responsible about its impact on the youth. And with the actual point of contention here being whether the Church of England, as a whole, was put in a bad or defamatory light by one of its Cathedrals being displayed in Resistance, there's going to be a lot of debate as far as who's ultimately in the right is concerned.
What do you readers think? Agree or disagree with the PM's opinion on the whole deal? Let us know by your comments.
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Comments [refresh]
Quoted from a GamesIndustry article (with edits);
" The UK's 1988 Copyright Designs and Patents act explicitly states that it is not copyright infringement to represent certain artistic works that are on public display. This includes buildings and sculptures which are 'permanently situated in a public place or in premises open to the public'. Therefore the inclusion of the Cathedral in the game could not be considered to be an infringement of any copyright in it. It is also unlikely Manchester Cathedral has any copyright remaining on it as copyright expires 70 years after the person who created the work dies.
What all this means is that public buildings are generally fair game for inclusion in videogames, films et cetera, and it is something that their owners just have to accept. "
What a populist response, come on he believed GWB when he said Iraq had WMD, and led us into a war for oil, his opions change with the breeze, I'm glad he's going, mind you I don't approve of his replacement, but whatever.
As with all polititions, they always want to look good and this just proves it, instead of saying that it was not a political issue which it isn't, he has to try and woo the public. For once I'd like to hear some honesty from MY government.
Yes companies are responsible for their content, just as newspapers are responsible for their own brand of 'News', and television is responsible for their programming. But the Church doesn't shout from the pulpit about the wrongness of our invasive newspapers or the programmes on telly. Oh no let's pick on a minority shall we...
Maybe we should start our own organisation, the Church of Sony or something. Then we would be entitled to the same freedoms handed to every other minority group.
Maybe there should be a march in support of Insomniac.
This whole story has made my blood boil (guess nobody noticed
What about my rights? I have them too.
stfu Blaur you sent hundreds if not thousands of men to a certain death in raq.. you are the last to be able to mention anything on violent video games *****ign brit *****
Someone may try to use the reputation damage case as some of the cast of Borat attempted.
This is such a dumb, stupid, rediculous argument. Its like they are trying to say that your role in resistance is that you are some normal everyday joe with a weapon and you go into a church while people are having a church service and massacre them for fun. The funny thing is, this is not what resistance is about at ALL! If the scenario were just like what I menioned above, then I could see the church having a point. But defending earth from invading aliens in a church does not seem wrong to me in any way. Sigh, this is the dumbest argument i've seen in a long time, way to go church of england.
and the game is not aimed at the youth with its mature rating so wth, gr8 dodge i guess
im a british bastad, i like tea and crumpets- tony blair.
Ey you *****! Some of us who come on here are British. And not all of us are *****s like Tony Blair.
He aint the image of Britain, and has just resigned so whatever he says don't matter.
So next time you wanna get into an arguement about my cultural background and your culture background, bring it on, because I have just revised 50 years of American history for my test and trust me your country turns out that it isnt all that!
revolutionary war biotch and we saved you all and the rest of europe and god knows the rest of the world in world war 1 and 2 we say jump u say how high we say fight u say where we say invade iraq u say yesa sir mr bush sir get off american peni* * * ps 33,000 camreas are watching u known fact and now some talk to u we have big brother over here u have a frakin britsh god police watching u google it **
if u take this comment down i will spam every entry using a proxy server u fing morons 4 of my posts in 10 mins u'll suck
blair extols the art of commenting while saying nothing. The church can go to hell!
the western world is all the same if you ask me...run by beurocrats who try to turn the pissed off public into their corporate slaves.
the fact is the entire western world has been run by beurocracy and corporate interests since the beginning of the industrial revolution. soon enough the entire western front will go bankrupt and china will lead as the next super power. of course the US of A are gona try to be cowboys and fight back, and then we'll loose to 2 billion people, not before sending out a few nukes. Ron Paul for president '08, he's one of the only politicians in america right now who champions the original rightings of the constition and will restore this country to how our forefathers imagined it, not run with lies but with honest policy and self government. and this is coming from a democrat.
I've sworn this game is aimed for adults.. age rating is there for a reason!!
And what Blair is doing in Iraq is not bad taste?
Go and play with your toy soldiers Blair, and leave the games for what they are... Games.
Wel ofcource he would support the church.
But i dont think he added his own tw cents in the argument, more like his own 2 pence!
Is it Sonys tactic to be controversial. It does get them in the news, and they have been in it alot recently.
actually the game in england can be played by 15+ yr olds
In the movie The Queen(2006) set in 1997- Tony Blair has a Playstation in his house.
This is so *****ing stupid i hate all religion the church is full of old moany bastards. Also im scotish stop saying british, its *****ing anoying because this is englands crap. When you hear british it has nothing to do with scotland, wales or irland, its always england moaning about ***** bunch of pricks
3 short facts.
1, The American War of Independance - 2/3rds of all people fighting for the US of so on were French. The French also bankrolled that war, that fact caused the French Revolution.
2. American involvment in WW1 was near-as-makes-no-difference nothing. Ziltch. Nowt.
3. Historians, solidiers and the people alive at the time say that the turning point of WW2 was The Battle of Britian, as this was the first time that Germany had been stopped. Wheile there were some Americans flying in the RAF at the time they were out numbered by people from... India, Canada, the Caribean, Australia, many of the *****ires that make up Africa.
Yes we have the highest proportion of CCTV cameras to people in the UK, but we are the only country on the face on the planet with a falling figure for car crime and muggings.
Back on topic... If the CoE does manage to pin Sony on copyright infringment, then i think Sony should counter sue the CoE for the use of the homophone "Praystation"
Violence?
What about the inquisition?
Religion my ass...
This stupid church can explode and take all the people that follow this sh1t with it...
Tony Blair bought a Wii last Saturday.
Obviously the church of England is just after some easy money here. Pathetic, hypocritical bastards...
there is a photograph of tony blairs wife cherie on a trip to the U.S with a playstation3 under her arm. Will try and get a link. Wonder what launch games she bought? \o/
so shut up moron! Quite dissing the British asswipe! Stick your foot in your mouth some more. You must be a child if you don't know how history really was.
We should start a damn clan or somthing lol. Hell no there not gonna limit my rights.
People in the past get me pissed off... Im American but i hate some things in America right now.
In Mgs2 if you remember the 1 guy said its not in nature to remember history, but if we dont know it could repeat itself
Anything wrong with tea and crumpets?
I think thers enough comments about this issue
i think there smart enough not to play with guns...unless there dumbas5 parents dont raise them well enough
u goth...
the only reason the battle of britain was the turning point was because britain is on a damn island and germany couldnt bring their tanks there. Us Americans came over to europe to stop massive chaos...twice.
Oh ***** the Church; and the Queen too. Burn in hell you aristocratic *****!
pretty much the whole gaming community is on SONYs side here its not like the game is telling you 2 go shoot up a church I HAVE THE GAME i know exactly what the game does w/ manchester cathedral it doesnt offend me at all WHAT ABOUT YOU