Non-Markets in Some Things: Olympic Tickets and Dickish Tweeting

TVNZ: London’s Metropolitan police said they had arrested 16 people since Friday for illegal reselling of Olympics tickets, as Games organisers said they were investigating why scores of seats were empty at some events yesterday.

Tim Worstall offers wise comment, should the cause and effect not be clear.

Cory Doctorow has other news:

Police in Weymouth, Dorset, England came to the home of a 17-year-old boy and arrested him, because he had retweeted an unpleasant sentiment to an Olympic athlete. The offending tweet? “You let your dad down i hope you know that.” (This was a pretty dickish thing to tweet, as the athlete in question had previously dedicated his performance to his recently deceased father). The charge is “malicious communication.” The law in question is the Communications Act 2003, Section 127(1)(a) (“a message that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character”). It’s great to see that the spirit of the Olympics is alive and well: athleticism and international cooperation means that people are only allowed to say nice things or they go to jail. Just about the only thing worse than being a dick on Twitter? Being a loony authoritarian cop who arrests people for being a dick on Twitter. (via /.)

Hat tip: Carl Danner.