Art & Culture | WPN World People News

UK government has launched a consultation on plans to increase the maximum sentence for commercial-scale online copyright infringement from 2 to 10 years imprisonment on July 18. Proposals set out in the consultation will bring penalties for online offences into line with equivalent offences relating to the copyright infringement of physical goods.

Deliberately destroying and pillaging archaeological sites and trafficking art objects in war zones amount to « cultural genocide » and should be classified as war crimes, argued speakers in a public hearing held by the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee on Monday afternoon. MEPs and experts reiterated the need for harmonised international legislation in this area.

UK Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has confirmed the appointment of experts from across a range of industries to support the BBC Charter Review process on July 12.

The World Heritage Committee Tuesday approved the inscription of five cultural sites on World Heritage List: Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site in Norway, Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus in Germany, Necropolis of Beth She’arim—a Landmark of Jewish Revival in Israel, The Forth Bridge in Scotland (United Kingdom) and San Antonio Missions in the United States of America.

The World Heritage Committee Thursday inscribed two sites in Yemen on the List of World Heritage in Danger: the Old City of Sana’a and the Old Walled City of Shibam.

From left to right: Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes, President and CEO of the Comité Colbert, and Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General