"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
wrote:
It is an absolute and outrageous rip off that both BS and ISO standards
are not free. All Acts of Parliament, Statutory Instruments, EU
Directives that drive the production of BS and ISO standards are free
to download - but often charged for if bought as a hard publication.
Likewise all Maritime and Coastguard Agency notices and regulatory
documents and the Boat Safety Scheme document are also free online.
Even the reports of VAT Tribunals are now free off the internet site
[snip]

I agree. Giving regulations etc the force of law but not allowing free and
easy access to them is beyond common sense.

That's why they are available in local libraries.

It's just what happens when profit making bodies are allowed to become
involved in such things.

But these bodies are not profit-making. They are non-profit bodies that must
balance the books between what it costs to produce the standards, and how
many they are likely to sell, without making a profit, but equally, without
falling into the red.

I'm sure if you were to produce a proper standard (do all the research,
organise the committees and experts, the design, editing, etc) and allow it
to be distributed free (i.e. you don't attempt to recover these costs), the
government would have no problem using it in future legislation.

-- JJ