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UK Home Office plan: ID Chips in Everything

LauraLolly writes "The BBC ran an article on how booksellers in the UK hope to use Radio Frequency ID chips to report on the entire life cycle of a book, including ownership and second-hand sales. There were throw-away lines about how the Home Office plans to use these chips in all goods, and their current use in U. S. libraries. And you thought that voluntary medical chips were bad..."

4 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Buy your books... by danamania · · Score: 5, Funny

    Buy a book legitimately

    walk out of the shop

    take it home
    microwave it on high for 15 seconds

    enjoy :)

    a grrl & her server

  2. Please, not more of this crap... by slipgun · · Score: 5, Informative

    The UK government already want to put something in your car which tracks your movements (and there is a camera system which more or less does just that on the M25). The police are already entitled to break up a meeting of more than three people on a whim (Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000). They can see what you are looking at on the net, they control who gets to own weapons (apart from criminals, of course). And now they want to control what books you can read. (No, I know that this article didn't mention that, but seriously, of course they're going to try and do it if they think they can). Blunkett is a dangerous man, and I am so afraid of what this government is trying to do that I am going to be voting for The Other Lot next time round.

    I am really starting to hate what this country is becoming. Is it any better over your side of the pond? Failing that, maybe it's time to move to the Far East...

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  3. "Ownership" of goods by Graspee_Leemoor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They can't make it illegal to take out or destroy the chip without seriously changing the way things are sold.

    Right now, if I buy a book I can quite happily rip the cover off and even re-bind it with all the pages in the wrong order if I want, it's my book.

    Are we heading for a future where nothing is ever owned ?

    This computer game is yours, but you aren't allowed to reverse-engineer it.

    This book is yours but you're not allowed to tamper with its chip.

    This movie is yours but you're not allowed to watch it in company, or more than once a month.

    This CD is yours but if you want to put it on your mp3 player you have to pay again.

    This TV programme is being beamed at you, but if you watch it you have to watch all of it, including the adverts.

    Do you see how close we are ?

    graspee

  4. Re:Look, let's get this straight, once and for all by hughk · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Nobody is going to care - ever - that you bought the latest Pratchett, then sold it to your friend, who donated it to a charity shop, who then sold it to a guy who gets drug conviction.
    Then why record which book I have bought and who has bought it later? Perhaps somebody might care that I have a copy of the Koran and the Los Alamos Primer? A word and a number, Farenheit 451.
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