NYC - photo permits requirement proposal

Morlar

Just saw a thread on dpreview which links to this NYTimes article that some people here might be interested in

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/nyregion/29camera.html?ei=5090&en=71135caff6fefe6a&ex=1340769600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print

Here are a few relevant points -

"New rules being considered by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance."

"The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment."

Looks like individual photographers are exempt if the plans go ahead as is - however a boards.ie meeting with 5 or more would need an official permit and $1,000,000 public liability insurance if this goes ahead.

Fenster

That's going to get shot down in flames, I can see the ACLU and others jumping on that.

Paulw

Knowing the US - this may just be passed in to law.

It's a total disgrace and madness. But, that's life.

I'll certainly note that NY is now another place not to visit, along with the mad gun laws in Florida.

Valentia

Ah, I'd say it's to stop every Tom, Dick and Harry film maker blocking the "sidewalks" and thinking they own the place.

311

It sounds a bit silly to me ,only thing that comes to mind is that it gives the police a chance ,to interogate people with gun equipment

Fenster

I've been reading up on this, as such proposals have a nasty tendency to be duplicated if they come into law.

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) are a very influential public rights group here - they do their best to force an open government and to shoot down laws that have chilling effects on free speech and expression; and they honestly usually get their way.

The ACLU's hackles have already been raised, even though at this point the suggest rules are just that - suggestions by New York's mayor. Look at what might happen: You could be effectively locked up at a whim and have your camera confiscated for shooting in New York. Who's a court going to believe: You, Shady Joe Foreigner, or a veteran NYPD officer? The NYPD do have several grudges against people with cameras and they would have a field day tossing people in jail on spurious grounds if this ever came to pass.

I personally don't think it's going to get very far, it's going to get shot down hard and fast simply for it's chilling effects, but it's nonetheless scary when some random high-up in the government suggests crap like this, as it's becoming more and more common. Very recently Rudi Giuliani suggested that freedom is all about shutting up and doing what we're told to. Nice.

Paulw

So, it'll be perfectly legal for 3-4 people with guns to meet up and stand around, but 3-4 people with cameras will need a permit.

It's a funny world.

Only in America !!!!

Thrill

What about Japanese tourists? They usually travel around in groups and love nothing better than to stop and take photos of anything that takes their fancy. Would this law be enforced against tourists who just want to take a few snaps?

Journalist photographers will go nuts over this as well and maybe claim that this new law infringes on the freedom of the press.

It sound's like a mad law. I hope that that kind of thinking does not travel over here to the E.U.

magicbastarder

Paulw wrote:

Only in America !!!!

eh; there are no undue limitations to using a camera in public in america at the moment. 'only in america' is not only hackneyed, it's wrong.