Rare seventeenth century poetry manuscript at risk of export | Hacker News Reader

Rare seventeenth century poetry manuscript at risk of export

gov.uk

16 pointsgruseom13 comments

That’s how the rest of the world feels about the stolen treasures in the British Museum

Yeah India wants all the stuff the British Raj stole from it back.

That would be such a shame! I understand that the costs are just too high to be paid by a state institution, but usually a collector's interest isn't always to use the masterpiece to educate.

Who's to say it won't go to the University of Texas, or some such institution?

Just scan the damn thing?

This feels like an attempt to shake down some local English aristocracy/bureaucracy for money.

I presume there are a zillion ways to prevent this from leaving if people really cared.

How is this not a violation of (one of) the four freedoms?

What makes you think 'goals articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt' (saving others the search I needed) hold any weight over HM Government in the UK?

They may be meant to apply globally, but 'violating' one doesn't mean anything if it's not more than a rousing speech. (i.e. not an international treaty that the UK's signed.)

The four freedoms refer to European trade. http://en.euabc.com/word/506

Ah, thanks. That makes much more sense (I just hadn't heard of it either, and wasn't ranking as highly as Roosevelt for my search).

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union allows exceptions to the free movement of goods in certain cases, one of which is when the goods are national treasures of artistic, historic or archaeological value.

"The provisions of Articles 34 and 35 shall not preclude prohibitions or restrictions on imports, exports or goods in transit justified on grounds of public morality, public policy or public security; the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants; the protection of national treasures possessing artistic, historic or archaeological value; or the protection of industrial and commercial property. Such prohibitions or restrictions shall not, however, constitute a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States."

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A...

So put it under an export embargo. This press release seems like they're already preparing one anyways.

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