Kodi Sale Is Legal In The United Kingdom... Unless It Has Pre-Loaded Illegal Add-Ons

Kodi boxes are digital television boxes sold widely in the mainstream market in Amazon and even Tesco. But these Kodi Boxes are the legal versions -- the illegal ones come with add-ons and copyright infringing software that allows for streaming from illegal channels. These "fully-loaded" Kodi Boxes -- the sale and use thereof -- is illegal in the United Kingdom.

Or at least everyone believes so. A landmark case in Hartlepool is guilty as charged for selling Kodi Boxes with modifications and add-ons allowing end-users to stream networks restricted for pay-per-view and other paid programming. Malcolm Mayes sold his customers Kodi Boxes  that could watch the Premier Football League without having to pay anything.

According to National Trading Standards Lord Toby Harris, the conviction of Mr Mayes -- having him pay £250,000 for the retail of modified Kodi boxes as a fine for his illegal criminal activities -- should send a clear message that any person or business "selling or operating such a device" are in breach of existing copyright laws in the United Kingdom. 

However, the laws apply only to retail and not end-usership, which has many Kodi owners of "illegal Kodis" fearing imprisonment for purchasing the devices. According to the UK Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), the device itself is legal even when loaded with illegal applications. Customers are even free of trouble if they bought a "clean" Kodi box and download the illegal applications.

Avoid The £500 Fine For The Wrong Child Seats By Reading This

New year, new car seat rules. It feels that way at least in the United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom, driving with your children in tow could earn you £500 once you break the rules. The new rules as of March 1, tomorrow, would be as follows:

If your child is below 12 years old or below 135 centimetres in height, they are required to wear a seatbelt at all times. The seatbelts must be diagonal or the lap belt must be fastened tightly.

Children below two years of age and weighing under 9 kilograms are required to travel in a baby carrier rather than a child seat. Children below 15 months must ride in a rear-faced seat. If your seat is weight-based, it must remain rear-faced until the child reaches 13 kilograms.

Only in case of emergencies can children travel without car seats. But driving a child without proper child seats further than 1 kilometre is automatically an offence.

No new specifications on car seats exist -- meaning parents with existing child seats they are still using will not be fined. However, high-backed booster seats are encouraged to protect children on the roads. Seat requirements for the child's age, height and weight are mandatory else the parent will face a £500 fine.

UK Receives Assurances That UK 'Dual Citizens' Will Have Passage Into The United States

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had lobbied and secured free entry and passage for UK's dual citizens according to one of US President Donald Trump's advisers. The statement comes after the US President had signed an executive order that would bar entry to the US against individuals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.  The world met the US President's first executive order with an immense backlash in social media and other channels.

The UK Foreign Secretary received word from one of Donald Trump's advisers that the ban only applies to the seven nations mentioned. However, UK Prime Minister Theresa May had condemned the policy, having her to urge the Foreign Secretary to "fight for British rights" in entering the United States.

Despite the US allowances on the British, activists in the country had protested against Donald Trump and the signed travel ban. Thousands of citizens attended marches in Downing Street to force 

UK Prime Minister Theresa May to cut short her state visit to Donald Trump as a form of protest. The Telegraph reports that 800,000 people have signed the petition to decline her visit to the United States.

 According to Amnesty UK Director Kate Allen, the protests were significant as the US ban was a failure to serve proper human rights and to uphold basic human decency. According to Allen, Trump's administration had "willfully demonised" children, women and men fleeing war-torn countries who are in need of help despite these individuals who are running away from predators including "torturers and mass murderers."

IPB Is Now In Full Force; All Emails And Phone Calls Effectively Under Government Surveillance

"1984" Author George Orwell's technophobia and societal satire has finally come true -- in 2017.

The UK's Investigatory Powers Bill -- now the Investigatory Powers "Act" -- will place all UK citizens under a heavy surveillance routine. Every UK citizen is now effectively under government surveillance as new powers to gather and retain data on citizens and new ways to use technology companies' user database for government security causes are introduced.

The controversial bill -- also known as the "Snooper's Charter" -- will allow the government to collect Internet Connection Records. Intelligence agencies and police could then stop modern crime and prosecute said individuals using information evidences.

 According to Amnesty International's Policy Director Bella Sankey, the UK is entering a "sad day" as the bill was passed last month. She said she agreed with Prime Minister Theresa May's approach to security for the UK but the measures are invasive and "won't do the job."  Sankey said that the Act opens "every detail of every citizen's online life up to state eyes" and can "drown authorities in data."

Sankey urged a "campaign for a surveillance law fit for the digital age" and must "continue to the courts." Despite public resentment, the bill pushed through as MPs quietly passed the bill.

Giving Tuesday: Three Things To Help You Give And Earn More

To participate in Giving Tuesday, one must spend less on the Thursday's Turkey. One can say the two ideas are different unless they carefully plan their finances. To have both, spending must be under complete control and accounted for.

Nov. 29 is Giving Tuesday -- an early Christmas or a prelude to Christmas I must say -- and I have some ideas that may help you get your Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday in check.

Participate In Sales Next Year

People who fill up stores during sales (especially the recent Black Friday) are people who may know they need to slowly build up their Giving Tuesday and Christmas gifting checklist, or they just buy things for less in bulk. Keep an eye out for shopping centre sales next year and make a checklist of gifts you want to give people you can get on sale for that month or bi-week.

Allot Some Money For It

Have a simple budget. For example, if you are earning £1800 monthly, just save at least £5 a month. When these sales come, blast off. You can freely spend this money you alloted, and you feel better spending because you know it will make someone else happy.

Thanksgiving Always

In this way, you have enough money to spend for your Thanksgiving dinner. Better, make people participating in your Thanksgiving dinner pitch in to make your dinner grander than you planned. It is fun because everyone participated, making it truly meaningful.

Situations Where You Could File a Workplace Accident Claim

Workplace accidents are not a huge subject matter unless it happens to you. And when it does, the bills pile up and you need recompense especially if the fault is not your own.

Employers have a responsibility to keep your workplace safe. If there is a new building area being renovated or constructed, employers must warn their employees about the activity. The employers should also warn them of possible hazards beforehand as it is their responsibility.

Aside from renovations, there are three other problems that are often the cause of workplace accident injuries.

Malfunctioning Equipment

Equipment used by employees -- whether it be a computer terminal or a heavy-duty forklift -- should be kept under proper maintenance. Employers must ensure funding for the maintenance and cleaning of these equipment guarantees their proper function.

If in any event the equipment malfunctions and harms the employee, the employee can file a 

workplace accident claim against the employer.

If the equipment exploded or a component injured the employee through no fault of their own, they have the legal right to make a claim.

Site Renovations and Improvement

Workplaces get old. Maintenance can become a huge issue. Site renovations can be fairly common.

But if workplaces remain untended, they may cause issues. Electric wires exposed to employees may cause potential harm. If not addressed and an employee is injured, the employee has a right to a workplace accident claim.

Workplaces undergoing improvement will involved heavy machinery and possible debris that could injure employees. Without proper warning and restrictions to such areas, employees may head to these hazardous locations. If they become injured without these warnings, employers will shoulder the trouble in paying for accidents.

Act of God or Disasters

Disasters such as fire or storms that cause injuries or sicknesses among employees the employers must shoulder the responsibility of their medical attention.

If malfunctioning equipment or products cause the disaster, employers are still responsible for injuries if it happens within the premises.

Employers may contend against employees for reimbursement for their medical fees. Legal representation by no win no fee work injury solicitors have shown a huge success rate in ensuring your refunds from your employers.

UK Authorities Fail To Honour "Due Diligence" In Deportation Proceedings

A report from the UK Human Rights Blog indicates that the European Court of Human Rights argued that part of an individual's detention pending deportation violated the right to liberty.

In its blog, it published the full background of the case.

An applicant with the initials 'VM', entered the United Kingdom illegally on November 18, 2003 with her son. The applicant came from Nigeria. When an interim care order had her charged of child cruelty, she pleaded guilty to avoid deportation to Nigeria.

Following her personal bail, she was once again arrested in September 2007 due to possession of false documentation with the intent to commit fraud. She was imprisoned for 9 months and was convicted of child cruelty charges in 2008 of April.

She was in detention for the rest of her sentence from August 2008. Pending deportation, she lodged a judicial review claim to review the lawfulness of her continuing detention. Hearings took place from July to August 2010 with her claims dismissed.

Having granted permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal, the Secretary of State conceded that her detention was unlawful from August 2008 to April 2010.

Reaching the Strasbourg Court, the violation was found as she was detained unlawfully because the authorities had failed to consider if the relevant policies were sufficient.

Full report here.