The human brain is a wondrous, capacious thing. The problem is that when you pour greed over it like syrup over waffles, it shrinks immediately to the size of a walnut.
The latest troglodytic walnut-brained idea being floated among the greed-soaked relates to something called "Freedom of Panorama," which is the current Photography-Related Buzzword o' the Moment, Summer 2015.
What it means is that too few of the world's humans own too damn much, and want more, and think no one can stop them from taking it. Here's a good book to read
The current fight pits reasonable people whose interests are diffuse against greedy people whose interests are acute, meaning the piggish idiots might actually win.
Here's a good primer on the issue, by Jimmy Wales at The Guardian, if you want chapter and verse. (We here in the States are still marginally protected by our First Amendment, at least for the time being.)
Huge sigh.
Mike
*Note that the linked book is a tiny hardcover, meant to fit easily in a pocket. I like 'em, some others don't.
Original contents copyright 2015 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.
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Featured Comments from:
Robert Roaldi: "Part of the on-going re-feudalization of our culture. And no wonder, feudalism was a good deal for some people, why wouldn't they want it back? All they had to do was buy all the politicians. Once they had all the money, it was easy."
Manuel: "I have good news for everyone: the European Parliament voted against the Regulation that would uniformize copyright in the European Union. Now every member state will be free to have their own statutes on the subject.
"To be fair, however, things got somewhat out of proportion. What the Regulation draft provided was that the commercial use of copyrighted buildings necessitated the architect's consent. The commercial use, mind you. Many were led to believe it was a general prohibition to photograph buildings, or an attempt to restrain 'freedom of panorama.' The matter was actually circumscribed to the commercial use of photographs of copyrighted buildings.
"Yet, even assuming an architect's work needs the same level of copyright protection as authors such as writers or composers (which seems quite bizarre to me), defining what 'commercial use' is would still raise lots of controversy. Suppose the Regulation had passed, and Peter Turnley, while shooting in Paris, included a copyrighted building in one of his pictures. It would be crass to think the architect could claim a compensation—or even get a restraining order!—in case Peter decided to add the photograph in an album and sell it.
"So, while the controversy was largely exaggerated, the European deputies were sensitive to the issues the Regulation would arise if it came into force and duly rejected the draft. You should take notice, however, that member states of the EU can still pass statutes that restrict freedom of panorama."
Chuck Albertson: "Done and dusted. Bob's yer uncle."
Good news at least for now in Amateur Photographer magazine, where it also says that 500,000 people signed a petition against the clause.
Posted by: Roger Bradbury | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 01:42 PM
Next we'll be copywriting our faces and our cats to put street photographers and the internet out of business.
Posted by: Speed | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 02:05 PM
"... too few of the world's humans own too damn much, and want more ..."
For the long view on the systemic aspects of this, I suggest "Capital in the 21st Century" by Thomas Piketty. What this book actually is, is a history of capitalism and it's effects on economic inequality, with a history of economic theories about it on the side.
In order to explain where we are and where we are going, most of the book tells the story of "how we got here."
Posted by: Bruce Mc | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 03:15 PM
The European Parliament, led by the UK Independence Party voted this proposal down this afternoon...
However, since MEP's have absolutely no executive power within the EU, it does not mean to say that the EU politburo... aka EU Commission will not go ahead anyway if it has taken a bribe to do so.
There is no such thing as democracy over here Mike!
Posted by: D | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 04:12 PM
A frightingly insane idea. I imagine an extraterrastrial civilization (the wonderful and inventive inhabitants of Titan come to mind), that aimes its super-high resolution telescopes at Paris or London, and gets fined via cosmical ways for making images of le Centre Pompidou and the London Dome. Come to think of it, wouldn't the Unfreedom of Panorama also pertain to people drawing or painting said objects? (Or sing a song about 'em?)
Posted by: Hans Muus | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 04:45 PM
A petition with 480 000 signatures calling for no restriction on the 'Right of Panorama' was handed in to the European Parliament yesterday.
My signature was on it.
Posted by: Alan Hill | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 04:57 PM
An inverse of the tragedy of the commons writ large... sigh indeed.
Posted by: Steve Ducharme | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 06:07 PM
European Parliament rejects ‘absurd’ EU plan to axe Freedom of Panorama
Read more at http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/european-parliament-rejects-absurd-eu-plan-to-axe-freedom-of-panorama-55708#5UEss0L4qYuJFE6Q.99
Posted by: Rex Kersley | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 06:37 PM
"Freedom of Panorama," is a weasel phrase. It has nothing to do with shooting a panorama, of Paris, from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Although many Masons from Marienbad may think so 8-0
The Third Reich lost WW2, but European Oligarchs are winning the EU Economic War. Their brothers, the American Oligarchs are winning the Second American Revolution. It's about time for "Torches and Pitchforks."
From time to time, we do win a few: Bill protecting civilians' right to record police officers clears Legislature http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-assembly-police-recording-20150709-story.html
Posted by: c.d.embrey | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 06:40 PM
A basic income for all human beings around the world is direly needed.
Posted by: Simon Griffee | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 08:08 PM
This is amazingly ignorant. How can someome expect to control something in open public view? Tell the Paris govt. they must ask your permission before taking your photo on street surveillance cameras and see how far that gets you.
One solution for this is simple civil disobedience. Everybody outside of France should post a photo of a Parisian landmark and dare them to come to your country and sue you. Not easy if there are millions of you. Extra points if you have a person in the foreground giving France a middle-finger salute or, even better, a "moon"
Posted by: Jim | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 09:35 PM
Another perspective:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/02/wikipedia_jumps_on_bogus_photo_scare_to_tell_us_the_internet_is_breaking_again
Posted by: Sven W | Thursday, 09 July 2015 at 11:44 PM
"The human brain is a wondrous, capacious thing. The problem is that when you pour greed over it like syrup over waffles, it shrinks immediately to the size of a walnut."
Very well phrased. It's a keeper of a quote!
Posted by: Mani Sitaraman | Friday, 10 July 2015 at 12:06 AM
Talking of european problems and the greed of the elites, I found it interesting (but not surprising) that Goldman Sachs had it's blood funnel at the trough when it cooked the books for Greece so they could enter the EU.
Posted by: Don | Friday, 10 July 2015 at 01:27 AM
An Internet storm in a tea cup. It was never going to fly, The proposer had, apparently, other aims in mind.
France and Italy, amongst who knows how many other countries, have never had Freedom of Panorama so does that mean all those tourist snaps of the Eiffel tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa are illegal?
The whole brouhaha was raised by the SKIING correspondent of the anti-eu English paper, the Daily Telegraph, which as an organ is slightly to the right of Genghis Khan
Posted by: Paul Mc Cann | Friday, 10 July 2015 at 03:22 AM
Fortunately, only some 5% of the members of the European parliament voted in favour of the anti-freedom of panorama amendment. Let's hope that the other 95% will now come together to enforce freedom of panorama in all EU countries.
JD
Posted by: Jakob Donnér | Friday, 10 July 2015 at 06:42 AM
Don't forget that you give social-media various reproduction rights of that picture of Grandma with an attractive building in the background. With some Terms & Conditions allowing the service provider to use the image for 'publicity for it's service', that could be enough to make the photographer liable for unauthorised use of the visual appearance of the attractive building . . .
Posted by: Martin | Friday, 10 July 2015 at 12:00 PM
The book everyone should be reading on the subject of human greed and it's effects on the planet and our very existence is 'This changes everything' by Naomi Klein.
Posted by: Nigel Amies | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 06:54 AM