Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2015/07/03

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Subject: [Leica] The RPS and Freedom of Panorama
From: kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner)
Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2015 12:33:00 -0700
References: <1435913888641281ccbebeb6a5a28b734daf035aba_@rps.org> <A3179E23-E9DC-4BE5-A16D-877B73CF525A@icloud.com>

A few years ago, a friend of mine was hassled by Oracle security rent-a-cops 
when she tried to photograph Oracle?s iconic buildings in the San Francisco 
Bay Area. She believes she was standing on a public path at the time.

Herbert Kanner
kanner at acm.org
650-326-8204

Question authority and the authorities will question you.




> On Jul 3, 2015, at 3:51 AM, Gerry Walden <gerry.walden at icloud.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> 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.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
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> 



In reply to: Message from gerry.walden at icloud.com (Gerry Walden) ([Leica] Fwd: The RPS and Freedom of Panorama)