Topic: EU proposal to limit "freedom of panorama"

[ManuelL]

Hi,

a new EU proposal is trying to limit the right of publishing photographs of public buildings. From what I read in some other sources the people who started the proposal actually planned to reduce the restrictions currently existing in some countries to allow all publication. But when the proposal was picked up it was changed to match the legislation in the countries with the highest restrictions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/11695345/Freedom-of-panorama-EU-proposal-could-mean-holiday-snaps-breach-copyright.html

I just hope it doesn't get through.

Best regards
Manuel

[Francois]

I know... With all those laws, the legislators definitely bring the fun factor down.

[Urban Hafner]

And here's the petition to sign if you're against it: https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-save-the-freedom-of-photography No idea if this helps at all, but it definitely can't hurt, can it?

[Late Developer]

I've always been very "pro-European" which, as a Brit, can somethimes be a difficult position to take. Generally, I see we have more to gain than to lose as being part of such a huge trade organisation. However, there are moments when I really question why I bother - and this is one of them.

We have more than enough to deal with as a result of 11 million Greeks owing the EU hundreds of billions of Euros - i.e. more money that it will EVER be able to repay and refugees from all the reprressive regimes in Africa and the Middle East heading for shores from Sicily to Calais.

Consequently, why the hell are the beareaucrats in Brussels even remotely interested in whether anyone takes photos of public buildings? More to the point, how are they going to Police it?

[Ezzie]

Signed. This is just plain stupid. Copyrighting architecture in this sense means we sooner or later will have to pay to walk around town with our eyes open. Give an inch and they will take a mile.

[Urban Hafner]

Consequently, why the hell are the beareaucrats in Brussels even remotely interested in whether anyone takes photos of public buildings? More to the point, how are they going to Police it?

I assume the idea is to have more or less the same copyright laws in the whole of the EU. The way I understand it the proposed changes are what's actually the current law in France for example. Just imagine this had been the case in HCBs time ...

[Late Developer]

Consequently, why the hell are the beareaucrats in Brussels even remotely interested in whether anyone takes photos of public buildings? More to the point, how are they going to Police it?

I assume the idea is to have more or less the same copyright laws in the whole of the EU. The way I understand it the proposed changes are what's actually the current law in France for example. Just imagine this had been the case in HCBs time ...

To hell with that, Urban. If this is about equally disadvantaging everyone, count me out. The fact that France, Germany, Italy, etc. have signed up to this nonsense doesn't me everyone should.

[Urban Hafner]

Actually it's not quite that way in Germany. We do have the freedom of panorama (which is just the translation of the term used in the German law). What we don't have is the right to photograph people in public spaces. It would be great to get rid of that too, but that seems highly unlikely.

[Ezzie]

The same in France, don't go around taking people's pictures. In Norway you can't publish without consent of the protagonist. But if part of a rally or public event you may publish pictures of people regardless of what they might think.

[Terry]

Call me a cynic if you will, but I can't help thinking that our bureaucrats love to start these brush-fires to distract us from the gross mismanagement going on at the top.

[Late Developer]

Call me a cynic if you will, but I can't help thinking that our bureaucrats love to start these brush-fires to distract us from the gross mismanagement going on at the top.

Terry, you may well have a point.  The EU Parliament (like most bureaucratic dis-organisations) is a HUGE gravy train.  It's about time we, the voters, opened our eyes and actually did something about it.  We voted 'em in, we can vote 'em out.

[Kayos]

I normally avoid politics on forums but this is just nuts

What happened to the photographer owning the copyright of the picture they took, with the equipment they bought?

I will continue to photograph and publish what I like, admittedly I only publish a fraction of what I shoot but I won't be told what I can't publish by Brussels or anyone else

If the don't like it, well sue me

[imagesfrugales]

no more freedom of panorama? by Imagesfrugales, on Flickr



When do we have to pay for the air we breathe?

[Kai-san]

When do we have to pay for the air we breathe?

For heavens sake Reinhold, don't give them such ideas! 
I propose that since we are all taxpayers we do in fact own the buildings and artworks that are public. Perhaps those of you that are EU citizens should start publishing photos of public buildings and artworks with the caption: "I am a taxpayer and I own a piece of this building/artwork. I reserve the right to publish photos of my property".

[Francois]

I'm bracing myself because the next logical step would be to license commercially sold buildings... just imagine if every time you publish a photo of a farm you have to pay royalties to the company that designed and manufactured the silos?

And then are we going to have to pay GM every time there's a GM made car in the picture?

Things like this can lead to nightmares.

We have laws similar to those in France here in Quebec and it's pretty much killed the photography business. People buy cameras to do commercial weddings, advertisements or take pictures of the kids... not much else.

Too bad there aren't more brave souls who just say a big punk f*** to the legislators and just continue shooting in the streets!

But I'm starting to wonder who is actually under all this? I have that sinking feeling that it's just another way for either operators or designers to bring in more money through licensing agreements... Just imagine if the company that operates the London Eye were to receive lets say 10 quid for every picture taken of the structure? That could mean millions flowing in each year with just nasty automated letters to send. Simple yet highly efficient as they only need a robot to search through the images and an operator with very basic training to click the button to send pre-written letters.

[imagesfrugales]

The draft law was rejected today by the european parliament after a last-minute shitstorm. But many many idiotic laws were made on the quiet without any notice of the public.

[Francois]

This is a regular tactic in our Parliament. You try and pass an incendiary law to hide a bunch of other laws that you want to pass but would be too unpopular to be accepted by the population.

[Late Developer]

The best word, in my opinion, to describe the European Parliament is "insidious".  Not that the British government is much more acceptable but at least I can vote for (or against) that one, pelt them with rotten eggs, etc a lot more easily.

I'm with Plato on this one: "Those who seek power are not worthy of that power".