July 27, 2007

Picture New York Without Pictures of New York

I heard about proposed rules for photographing/filming in public, but thought it was a joke:

~ Requiring any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour (including setup and breakdown time) to get a city permit

~ $1 million in liability insurance.

~ Regulations would also apply to any group of five or more people who would be using a tripod for more than ten minutes, including setup and breakdown time.

WTF!! Read on from Picture New York, an ad-hoc committee formed to combat this ridiculous set of unconstitutional rules-

Picture New York Without Pictures of New York

Thousands of New Yorkers who love both their city and their cameras may face exactly that if the cumbersome, costly and unconstitutional regulations from the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting go into effect this August as scheduled.

Picture New York is an ad hoc coalition of working artists, filmmakers, and photographers who’ve joined together to fight the proposed rules. These rules can be seen not only as a blow against New York as a place that welcomes and inspires art-making and documentation, but are part of a broader continuum of attacks against civil liberties and free expression.

Sign the damn petition and make your voice heard. Yeah, I know. Sending in snail mail would have a greater impact. But public comments will only be allowed until August and rules will probably go in effect immediately afterwards. So act now.

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Posted by ronn at July 27, 2007 11:22 PM

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