Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: RFPhotography on April 12, 2013, 09:02:41 am
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That's not an exaggeration. A legislator in Vermont wants to make it illegal to photograph any person without their permission. Further, she wants to make it illegal to modify a photograph of any person without their permission. (http://Looks like Vermont is trying to become very unfriendly to photographers. This bill could have very wide-ranging effects. Street shooters, event photographers, journalists. All and more could be affected. http://fstoppers.com/bill-introduced-could-result-in-very-bad-news-for-photographers)
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That's not an exaggeration. A legislator in Vermont wants to make it illegal to photograph any person without their permission. Further, she wants to make it illegal to modify a photograph of any person without their permission. (http://Looks like Vermont is trying to become very unfriendly to photographers. This bill could have very wide-ranging effects. Street shooters, event photographers, journalists. All and more could be affected. http://fstoppers.com/bill-introduced-could-result-in-very-bad-news-for-photographers)
And the problem is...?
;-)
Rob C
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From the comments
Doug Pizac • 2 hours ago −
This bill is from early February. The attorney for NPPA wrote to the Vermont legislature about it and was told by the committee chair that there are no plans to even consider it. That was Feb. 28. So it is dead.
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Didn't see that earlier Bill, but yeah, looks like it's dead. This time anyway. If there's one crackpot legislator out there who'll bring forward a bill like this then no doubt there are others. And at some point perhaps there won't be a committee chair or state house or provincial legislature with enough functioning brain cells to stop it.
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But the Supreme Court might.
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The supreme court will not let a law like this stand. It's good to see the state legislators are able to recognize this (even as it is disappointing that one of them would submit the bill).
Unfortunately, The American people seem to think that the right to privacy is far more extensive than it really is. It does not prevent someone from looking at you or photographing you are recording you in a public place. The sensitivity and paranoia that makes people so angry about the most innocent of photography is baffling to me.
(I do not included harassing, invasive and/or paparazzi-photography under my comments above.)
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But the Supreme Court might.
True. But if a law like this were enacted and subsequently challenged, it would take years to reach the SCOTUS. In the interim, photographers could be impacted. A lower court may overturn the law, bit if it were appealed and the lower court ruling was stayed pending appeal, the law would still be in effect.
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I have to think that any federal judge this law came before would strike it down and refuse to stay his ruling pending appeal.
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I suspect any party chairman worthy of the name would have "words" with the guy introducing the bill. Remember, state legislators aren't exactly the brightest people, on average.
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I suspect any party chairman worthy of the name would have "words" with the guy introducing the bill. Remember, state legislators aren't exactly the brightest people, on average.
Absolutely, Nancy; we photographers obviously are, as any fool can tell!
;-)
Rob C
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True. But if a law like this were enacted and subsequently challenged, it would take years to reach the SCOTUS. In the interim, photographers could be impacted. A lower court may overturn the law, bit if it were appealed and the lower court ruling was stayed pending appeal, the law would still be in effect.
Right Bob, but a stay would only be imposed if the appellate body were the ninth circuit.
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Right Bob, but a stay would only be imposed if the appellate body were the ninth circuit.
Russ, are we moving into the occult here, or is it just basic astronomy?
Rob C
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I suspect any party chairman worthy of the name would have "words" with the guy introducing the bill. Remember, state legislators aren't exactly the brightest people, on average.
Why "state"?
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Why "state"?
Why anything, Rip?
Anybody why isn't in office can have any great idea that pleases him/her, and that idea is possibly a brilliant one. But, sadly, the moment that 'office' becomes involved, ideas themselves become something very other than ideas: they become merchandise that may or may not be peddled to an electorate also not widely known for its sagacity. People in office face impossible options: do what the country needs and you won't get re-elected because it's going to be painful. So with even the best intentions in the world, every man Jack of them, other than the late Margaret Thatcher, chickens out and sells the country down the river. Proving this by being the exception, she was voted into power for three consecutive terms, until failing health and impatient 'colleagues' did their Brutus. And lost power for years.
In Scotland, in a bid to swing the Independence Issue vote towards getting out of the United Kingdom, they have (or are at least trying) to lower the voting age for this most important election to have faced Scotland in a few hundred years, to sixteen!
Tell me that isn't both irresponsble and a disgusting exploitation of youthful ignorance. So, pity your politicos for the impossibility of their calling, but watch the purse strings too.
Rob C
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Absolutely, Nancy; we photographers obviously are, as any fool can tell!
;-)
Hi Rob,
Apparently, some of the LuLa participants are ..., but are some of the legislators also as bright, apparently not. Which is a concern, or at least it should be (for the brighter LuLa participants at least).
The bigger issue is, is the specific legislator dim, or is he/she on the take off some lobbyist, or merely trying to get re-elected by even dimmer voters (of which there are probably many) ...
Cheers,
Bart
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More information on this has been found out. Apparently in Vermont, any citizen can request a bill be drafted and, it seems, the bill has to be drafted. It's called a 'Requested Bill'. That's what this was. Apparently the legislator has no ability to say yes or no. Very odd system and a complete waste of resources. But I'll come back to my earlier thought. If one crackpot thought this up then it's entirely possible that some other crackpot would think up something similar and we know that legislatures pass some pretty bizarre and unconstitutional laws so I still don't think something like this actually getting a reading and a vote somewhere is out of the question.
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In Scotland, in a bid to swing the Independence Issue vote towards getting out of the United Kingdom, they have (or are at least trying) to lower the voting age for this most important election to have faced Scotland in a few hundred years, to sixteen!
Rob C
Seriously?
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More information on this has been found out. Apparently in Vermont, any citizen can request a bill be drafted and, it seems, the bill has to be drafted. It's called a 'Requested Bill'. That's what this was. Apparently the legislator has no ability to say yes or no. Very odd system and a complete waste of resources. But I'll come back to my earlier thought. If one crackpot thought this up then it's entirely possible that some other crackpot would think up something similar and we know that legislatures pass some pretty bizarre and unconstitutional laws so I still don't think something like this actually getting a reading and a vote somewhere is out of the question.
One man's crackpot is another man's genius.
Who gets the arrogance to draft? Does it come by birth, by business success, lowest common denominator vote or by hollow degree?
Just askin'.
Rob C
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Seriously?
It's often difficult to tell the difference between Salmond serious and Salmond flippant, but yes, seriously.
Jeremy
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Seriously?
Yep, absolutely so.
I reckon that if they offer each 16-year-old a pair of trainers to his choce, they will get their Independence vote with a massive majority.
Of course, straight after that, the shoes will have to be sold south of the border in order that the parents (those in work) will be able to pay the tax that such a tiny population base will need in order to pay the politicians and keep them in kilts. Geez! Will 007 return from Lyford Quay and take up his vacant throne?
Rob C