Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/07/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Of interest in the European members of the LUG only. This could affect your rights to photograph in your country and others throughout the EU. Gerry Gerry Walden 023 8046 3076 > Begin forwarded message: > > From: rps hq <rpshq at rps.org> > Subject: The RPS and Freedom of Panorama > Date: 3 July 2015 10:06:29 BST > To: gwpics at me.com > Reply-To: rpshq at rps.org > > > > > Dear UK and European Member: > > Over the past few days you may have read or been emailed about the threat > to ?freedom or panorama? which is included in a draft report being > promoted by a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). > > In the UK (and in some other countries) we enjoy the right to photograph > buildings and sculptures ?if permanently situated in a public place or in > premises open to the public? for our own enjoyment and even for commercial > use. The MEP?s proposal is to adopt the model that operates in France and > a number of other European countries which gives other creators e.g. > architects and sculptors, protection against having their work being > reproduced without payment. In those countries permission is required to > photograph or exploit images containing those works. The more > sensationalist press reports have suggested that the public?s holiday > snaps might be threatened - the reality is that it would mostly affect > groups such as travel book, postcard and poster publishers, in particular. > Either way, it is a significant concern to The Society. > > The MEP?s proposal is only for commercial use and it is a very long way > from becoming law but The Society believes that the proposal should be > dismissed before it gains any traction. If harmonisation is required then > it should be along the UK model and not the other for which there has been > no great demand for other than by a small number of vested interests. In > the UK there is no demand to change the current position even from groups > such as architects who might benefit. > > The Society would encourage members to sign a change.org > <http://change.org/> petition here > <https://www.change.org/p/european-parliament-save-the-freedom-of-photography-savefop-europarl-en?recruiter=293430649&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition> > to register your objection to the proposal. Almost 300,000 people across > Europe have already signed. You may also wish to contact your own MEP > <http://www.europarl.org.uk/en/your-meps.html> to register your views. > > The Society has been working with a number of other organisations over the > past couple of weeks on this issue and the next key date is 9 July when > there will be a vote in the European Parliament on the report. > > There will be a blog posting about this issue on The Society?s website > shortly. If you have any comments ? for or against ? please email me at: > director at rps.org <mailto:director at rps.org> > > Thank you for taking the time to read this email. > > Regards > > Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS > Director-General > The Royal Photographic Society > Direct line: +44 (0)1225 325730 > > > > > Unsubscribe <mailto:rpshq at rps.org?subject=Unsubscribe> > > > > > > The Royal Photographic Society, Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath, BA2 > 3AH, UK. > Tel: +44(0)1225 325733. VAT Registration No. GB 753 3057 41 > Registered Charity No. 1107831 > Any information contained herein or in any attachment(s) is intended only > for the named recipient. Under no circumstances should it be distributed, > disclosed, copied or transmitted to other parties without the express > permission of The Society. Any views expressed in this message are those > of the sender and may not reflect the views of The Royal Photographic > Society. If you are not the intended recipient please notify The Society > immediately and delete it from your system. This email has been scanned > for viruses by MailDefender. > > > > > > Scanned by Mail Titan - managed email security from Westgate IT