Auscam has learned that if you are holidaying in the EU, and take any snaps or video, then an until now obscure EU law says that the EU actually owns the copyright!

This means that if you ever display these images on a website, in public or even copy them and send these copies to friends or family, you are in breach of article 24-7:12 of the EU articles of association which reads in part:

"All images or facsimiles of any location in the EU, but not limited to altitude or under water locations - eg: rivers, lakes, seas or oceans - are deemed to be owned by the EU, and cannot be reproduced or otherwise duplicated without due approval and fees paid to the EU".

This law has penalties in the thousands of Euros, depending on the location and country the images have been taken in we were told. An enquiry by Auscam to the Office of Copyright and Images under control of the Bureau of Tourism in Brussels was told by spokesperson Sath Brunelli, "the EU is jealous of its mountains, castles, waterways and other landmarks and scenery. We will fiercely protect our right to the copyright of any images. You want, you pay. It's that simple."

You can pay a licence fee of EU50, payable at all border immigration and customs posts to circumvent this law in most countries we were told. Except for Iceland who's fee is EU100.

A request to the Australian Tourist Bureau to see if Australia will follow suit has so far gone unanswered.

(This is of course is rubbish. But it was fun to suck people in! If you have a great idea that's fun like this, let us know by emailing david@auscamonline.com. Published ones will receive a FREE 12 edition subscription to Auscam magazine)

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com