On Apr 6, 12:47=A0pm, Chris H <ch...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> In message <ftambm$db...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, "(not quite so) Fat Sam"
> <samandja...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes
>
> >If I wanted to take journalistic photos of an event in the UK, what
would=
I
> >need to consider from a legal point of view?
>
> I am NOT a lawyer or legally qualified. Any advice given below is worth
> exactly what you paid for it!
>
> 1
> Not getting caught when taking photos. :-)
>
> 2
> Read Digital Camera =A0Feb 08. Had a major item on this as appertaining
to=
> UK law as of Feb 2008 . =A0There must be some copies about somewhere or
> try their web site
>
> http://www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk
>
> 3
> Also see this link to the UK Photographers Rights
guide.http://www.sirimo.=
co.uk/ukpr.php
>
> 4
> REMEMBER the police do NOT know the law on photography The PCSO's less
> so. YOU MUST SEE THIS LINK
>
> http://current.com/items/88856223_you_can_t_picture_this
>
> and related links on that page.
> This was MARCH 2008 in the UK
>
> You might find this of interest, since it sets out the powers of
PCSOs:htt=
p://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/com...
> y-policing/List_of_Powers_of_Community1.pdf?view=3DBinary
>
> http://current.com/items/88856223_you_can_t_picture_this
>
> http://benneh.net/blog/index.php/2008/03/18/account-for-presence
>
> Practically speaking
>
> Remember have at lots of =A0 memory cards on you. =A0Swap them often (Ie
> when ever you have a few interesting photos) and make sure you give the
> used ones to a friend who can get them off site quickly (and come back
> for the next one). =A0Ie in to the hand/car or preferably house of some
> one who is not going to get arrested. =A0House is best as police etc
need
> a search warrant.
>
> If it is in the parish hall and in the village get some kids to act as
> runners to friends in the closest house. The law on stopping and
> searching children is stronger than for adults And if anyone other than
> a police person does it there is a news story and probably assault on a
> minor etc :-)
>
> Then ASAP send the whole lot to a friend outside the UK. =A0IE outside
UK
> Jurisdiction BTW to cover yourself send an email explaining these are
> for safe keeping/backup only and that they must NOT under any
> cir***stances publish. =A0 You will of course be mortified to find your
> (now ex :-) friend has disregarded your written =A0instructions and
> published them :-)
>
> BTW HOST THE SITE OUTSIDE THE UK and get "a friend" to write and upload
> all the content. :-) See above.
>
> Bloody difficult to stop some one in another country :-)
>
> The point of this is if you get arrested for any reason during or just
> after the event the worse case is you only loose =A0a few photos of the
> card in the camera at the time. =A0 =A0 Have a digital voice recorder on
y=
ou
> and have it running when/it you are accosted. Also for quotes.
>
> DO NOT UNDER ANY CIR***STANCES DELETE THE PHOTOS YOU TAKE. =A0If it IS
an
> offence they must arrest you in which case the photos are evidence and
> must not be destroyed. If they won't arrest you there is no offence and
> you don't need to delete them.
>
> Copyright infringement, trespass =A0etc is "see you in court " :-)
=A0Agai=
n
> do not delete photos. It will take months for the court case (if at all)
> Also the story of the threat of court action makes them look bad.
>
> BTW I have had front page picture of armed police and well as police at
> a march.. (Military freedom of the town no t a protest march) so you can
> photograph the police.
>
> >Okay, some background on the event...
> >Plans are afoot to dig a whopping great quarry in the heart of the
villag=
e
> >where I live.
> >The villagers are completely opposed to it.
> >The parish council say they're opposed, but they don't seem to be doing
> >anything very much apart from having closed doors meetings where the
publ=
ic
> >aren't invited.
>
> Can they do that? =A0I think you are permitted to attend and see the
> minutes? You need a local Lawyer
>
> >I have established a website to give the villagers a single unified
voice=
> >and bring our plight to the attention of the world.
> >Part of running this site will involve publi****ng regular re****ts of
> >meetings and things like that.
>
> Ok. So far so good but you know you are asking for trouble. =A0 Good
Luck
>
> >Now, the parish council have finally called a public meeting in the
villa=
ge
> >hall this coming Saturday, and invited the village to attend.
> >I plan to go along with my camera and an MP3 recorder to get photos and
> >interview people for the site, and also to get photos and a re****t of
the=
> >meeting.
>
> GOOD. =A0 Post the link to it here. =A0 (BTW where in the UK is it? )
>
> >I'm anticipating objections to my photographing the parish councillors
an=
d
> >the event in general.
> >Do they have any right to damand that I stop photographing the event?
>
> No idea. But do invite the local press. If it is a public meeting they
> cant stop you being there. However it depends if the property is private
> or public.
>
> You need proper UK legal advice. Free advice on the Internet is worth
> what you pay for it.
>
> >If they do make this demand, what possible comebacks can I use?
>
> They can throw you out of the meeting =A0(you need some one else to
> photograph this inside and out. As it is a good embarrassing story in
> it's own right :-)
>
> DO NOT UNDER ANY CIR***STANCES DELETE THE PHOTOS YOU TAKE. =A0If it is
an
> offence they must arrest you in which case the photos are evidence and
> must not be destroyed. If they won't arrest you there is no offence and
> you don't need to delete them.
>
> Maybe they can take you to court... which is VERY embarrassing to them.
> You NEED proper =A0legal advice.
>
> >Could I get away with telling them that the site is pulling nearly 2000
h=
its
> >a day, and that if they're opposed to the site, then in the spirit of
fre=
e
> >journalism, I'm left with no option but to publish that as a story on
the=
> >front page,
>
> Whose front page? Yours or the local news paper? =A0 BTW As you point
out
> a well handled re****t of a gagging action and "no photos" and re****ting
> restrictions is often far more harmful than them letting you re****t as
> the information will always get out in the end. And gaging implies guilt
> or at the least somethign to hide.
>
> >and in doing so point out that by taking a stance against a
> >website that objects to the quarry, they are in effect taking a stance
> >against the feelings and opinions of the entire village?
>
> You can say that.
>
> >The village hall, as I understand it, is a public place...
>
> Not at all... it is owned by someone (even if it is "the village") ...
> This is where it gets difficult. The parish council may be able to say
> no photos inside at meetings... however you can take pictures of the
> closed doors with a list of al the parish councillors =A0who attend the
> meeting and suggest people stop them in the street, phone them and write
> to them asking what they are doing, fro minutes of the meetings and why
> they are not letting the people in. WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE HIDING?
>
> On the other hand as a pari****oner it may be they can't stop you. What
> are the laws on Parish councils?
>
> >Does a parish council have the right or power to impose a photography
ban=
> >there?
>
> Possibly. =A0You need a local lawyer and the legal set up of the hall
and
> the parish council.
>
> BTW doesn't a parish council have a connection with the Church? =A0What
> does the Vicar say (and the Bishop) Picture of Bishop saying "nothing to
> do with me" and a reference to Pontious Pilot wa****ng his hands :-)
>
> Have fun with it. =A0As I have indicated tactics and strategy are =A0at
> least as im****tant as the law.
>
> BTW where in the UK Is this? =A0I expect there are a few budding photo
> journalists on here who would love to help. =A0 Not your fault if people
> you have never seen before turn up and photograph events and then
> publish:-)
>
> We seem to have lost far to much democracy in the UK over the last
> decade or two.
>
> --
> \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
> \/\/\/\/\ Chris Hills =A0Staffs =A0England =A0 =A0 /\/\/\/\/
> /\/\/ ch...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
=A0 =A0 =A0www.phaedsys.org\/\/\
> \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
My only thought would be to be open and obvious in taking the photos.
Get a few (without flash) and see if they stop you. If they do,
appologize and sit down -- you've got your photos. If the police
demand that you delete the photos, act like a clutz and politely do
so. Then .... go home and undelete them. NBD.
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