Freedom of photography under attack

[df3vi]

The EU plans to change the freedom to publish photos taken at public places drastically.

Instead of extending this right to all EU countries, the member of EU parliament perverted the approach and voted for total restriction.

Please read and sign the petition here:

Save the Freedom of Photography

[Peter van Lom]

Signed: Democracy seems to get more and more bureaucracy for nitwits.

A little more info;https://www.facebook.com/Sumfinity/posts/502360496584684 

[SA10]

I just read about it here.
Does this affect Panoramio?
I will have to check the T&Cs, but either way it's bad news.

[QuentinUK]

On Wednesday, 1 July 2015 18:47:30 UTC+1, SA10 wrote: Does this affect Panoramio? 

R.     having regard to the competitive advantage and growing power of a number of Internet intermediaries and to the negative impact of this situation on authors’ creative potential and on the development of services offered by other distributors of creative works;

"Internet intermediaries" = Google, Facebook, Flickr, etc

11.    Stresses that the creative output of the EU is one of its richest resources, and those who want to enjoy it should be able to pay to do so, even when it is only sold in another Member State;

"should be able to pay" = pay up, especially US internet companies.

46.    Considers that the commercial use of photographs, video footage or other images of works which are permanently located in physical public places should always be subject to prior authorisation from the authors or any proxy acting for them;

"permanently located in physical public places" = end Freedom of Panorama

"prior authorisation" = architect's/artist's permission

Is Google a commercial company? It all depends on the definition of "commercial". The report targets "Internet intermediaries". This must be an attack on Google/Panoramio (as well as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc.) Google is almost all user generated so attacking Google etc must be attacking user generated photography. Does Panoramio etc providing free photographs impact publishers of books of photographs? I'd say yes.

p.s. There are exceptions for education so Wikipedia is OK, but Wikimedia Commons is NOT. 

p.s. Here is a database of things you aren't allowed to photograph. Some of these are in Panoramio and the rights holders haven't asked for them to be removed: http://wiki.gettyimages.com 

[hvbemmel]

The oldest " illegal " photo on PA is http://www.panoramio.com/photo/201 from user number 1 , it's still there.

The initiative for this EU act is the pirate party, meaning to make the Panorama freedom in EUrope more like the (free) German one.

Of course there are parties hijacking this to do just the opposite as intended. The EU more and more becomes the forbidden union. Specially succesful companies from outside the EU are target, Google specially is targetted and so is Microsoft. 

Above that there are not many members of the EU parliament with any knowledge about internet, but that does not have any influence on their decisions. In all, the parliament costs a load of money, but in the end they have nothing to say, the European commission decides, if necessary overruled by the government leaders or in this case by the national parliaments who will have the final say.

The danger of the EU parliament making legislation on this is that this just is one of the things that is up their sleeve. It's very important that cucumbers are straight or that barbers have nonslip soles under their shoes.  There above the parliament is factually ruled by thousands of lobbyists from the major companies who influence the decision making process big time.. 

So the main of this legislation lies in the fact that one never can tell if some company has an interest in doing just the opposite of what the MP from the pirate party wanted and that also is the reason we have to protest before it's too late. 

sorry for the politics, but I think in this case it could not be avoided. There are many not EU citizens (and EU citizens as well) who do not know how the EU is ruled.  

[laurence_cox]

I fully agree with you about the EU. However, I think, technically the Eiffel tower is no longer in copyright (Gustave Eiffel died in 1923) and Wikipedia says for France the period is lifetime plus seventy years. This is why the petition used the London Eye, which is clearly within copyright. Had they wanted to use a Paris landmark, then the pyramid at the Louvre would have been an ideal example.

sorry for the politics, but I think in this case it could not be avoided. There are many not EU citizens (and EU citizens as well) who know how the EU is ruled.  

[hvbemmel]

The Eiffel tower is not under copyright, however the lighting is!

http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/night-time-effiel-tower-pictures/

[SA10]

This is why the petition used the London Eye, which is clearly within copyright. Had they wanted to use a Paris landmark, then the pyramid at the Louvre would have been an ideal example.

There is also a distinction between England and France. France does not have freedom of panorama, so nothing will change there. But the UK does have FOP, so it's OK to have photos of the London Eye now, but it won't be if this bill is passed.

 

[© Tom Cooper]

Photography was invented in France, and yet they do not have full freedom with it.  As an American, I find that disappointing, even sad.

[c0l0gne1]

If German press releases are to be believed the majority parties in the EU parliament are going to vote against the attempt to undermine "Panoramafreiheit": http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/panoramafreiheit-eu-parlament-lehnt-foto-einschraenkungen-ab-a-1041670.html (sorry- only German)

[hvbemmel]

Well, the verdict is that everything stays as it was, every country will have its own copyright law, that means complete freedom in i.e Germany, Austria, Netherlands and more stringent law in France, Belium e.o.

Until the next attack on our freedom of course.

[moatlspeed]

Very good news, at least as a starting point to bring freedom of photography to every country. Thanks to all for supporting the petition!