Photography petition

[Wyvern]

Petitioning European Parliament: Save the Freedom of Photography! #saveFoP

On 9 July 2015, the European Parliament might destroy photography.

The Freedom of taking photos in public places is under attack. Until now, in most countries in Europe you were safe to take and publish photographs that are taken from public ground – This is called Freedom of Panorama. When you were on vacation, you could take a photo from the London Eye and share it with your friends on Facebook*. If someone wanted to pay you for using this photo, that was okay as well. But this is about to change may destroy photography as we know it.

Julia Reda, member of the European Parliament, tried to bring the Freedom of Panorama to all countries of the EU, as few countries like France and Italy don’t have such law yet. In the majority of countries such as the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, you’re safe to take, publish and sell photos of public buildings when taken from public grounds.

However, the current draft turned the proposal upside down. Instead of bringing the Freedom of Panorama to the few countries that don’t know such law yet, it would take it away from all those who do. With this, Street-, Travel- and Architecture-Photography would be dead as we know it. It is impossible to find out the architect of every public building in order to ask for permission before you can publish and possibly sell the photo.

 

[NSEFAN]

Would such a thing even be enforceable? Almost anyone with a phone also has a camera on their person now, and police probably have better things to do than harass tourists taking pictures. I suppose the only people who might be really affected would be professional photographers, as architects of buildings could kick up a fuss under a law like the one being proposed?

 

[John Luxton]

Would such a thing even be enforceable? Almost anyone with a phone also has a camera on their person now, and police probably have better things to do than harass tourists taking pictures. I suppose the only people who might be really affected would be professional photographers, as architects of buildings could kick up a fuss under a law like the one being proposed?

I don't think it is the police who would enforce this. It would appear to be a copyright issue which would be dealt with in civil courts.

 

[8A Rail]

Would such a thing even be enforceable? Almost anyone with a phone also has a camera on their person now, and police probably have better things to do than harass tourists taking pictures. I suppose the only people who might be really affected would be professional photographers, as architects of buildings could kick up a fuss under a law like the one being proposed?

This affects everyone who uses a camera (of any sort) while they are out and about. It may seem extreme but you only need a "Jobsworth" while out and about to actually stop you from taking an image and there wont be anything you can do about it if this law comes into being. Again it is not just aimed at professional photographers but ALL people who use a camera. As John as stated, it becomes a civil law matter if push comes to shove!

 

[John Luxton]

Success!

The plan to restrict Freedom or Panorama has been across the EU has been lifted. Though the restrictions remain in countries such as France which already had it.

See following links:

https://juliareda.eu/2015/07/eu-parliament-defends-freedom-of-panorama-calls-for-copyright-reform/


http://www.amateurphotographer.co.u...surd-eu-plan-to-axe-freedom-of-panorama-55708

John

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good stuff. Never knew it applied already in France though; surprised the Eiffel Tower owners aren't walking around with ticket machines as the cameras come out!

 

[AM9]

This affects everyone who uses a camera (of any sort) while they are out and about. It may seem extreme but you only need a "Jobsworth" while out and about to actually stop you from taking an image and there wont be anything you can do about it if this law comes into being. Again it is not just aimed at professional photographers but ALL people who use a camera. As John as stated, it becomes a civil law matter if push comes to shove!

If this law does actually make it, AND it is adopted by the UK, AND the police decide that they have the time and resouces to harass people taking photographs in public places, then I would put money on there being mass civil disobedience on a scale not seen since the mass trespasses that established the National Parks. As has been said above, almost everybody now carries a camera (in their mobile phone) in the course of normal day-to-day business, so there is an ever-present opportunity to organise a 'flash mob' style event to take pictures of a given high profile building. So apart from obstruction and a potential for breach of the peace when the minimum-wage paid contract security guard dutifully comes out from his hut as programmed by his paymasters, I imagine that the police wouldn't even turn up.
So what happens then, well all of thos pictures turn up online. The naiive 'copyright' owners try to get them take down, so they pop up in even more places. Even if the identities of these wayward photographers could be established, the courts would quickly be swamped.
I am not worried at all by this misguided attempt to protect the rights of architects. Buildings are functional objects which may have artistic elevations, images of their external appearnce can be reproduced, but short of somebody with a very large 3D printer copying them and printing one to keep in their back garden, the functionality that the client has paid for is pretty well stuck in one place.
There is one exception to all the above which is taking pictures from a public place which is on private land or under private management. These places are becoming a sinister feature of modern capitalist developments. For instance, most of the South Bank from Westminster to Tower Bridge is privately managed and there some restrictions on photgraphy and movie filming, only some of which is spelt out on notice in those areas.
Other than that, most of the directives that the EU issues are sensible and of benefit to all member state populations. Occasionally, however, it issues some daft ones that are enacted by member states in principle only and quickly fall into misuse until they are withdrawn.
Clearly, Wikipedia should highlight the progress of this attempt to restrict freedoms to encourage readers to lobby their representatives, but I for one can't see it affecting my photography and video activities at all.