Comments on: If it’s illegal to take someones photo without permission, why do paparazzi get away with it?

By: Fred F

Fred F — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:22:59 +0000

repeat after me – IT IS NOT repeat NOT ILLEGAL TO TAKE ANYONES PICTURE.

If the person is in a public place then it is perfectly legal to take and publish their picture.

The only laws which could come into play in the UK are libel and defamation. However if the picture was just posted on a web-site or published in the paper of the person doing something in public then they would have a very expensive and hard job proving either thing.

f
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By: MarkH

MarkH — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:48:59 +0000

This is something I've never understood.
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By: MisterB206

MisterB206 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:13:59 +0000

You’re misinformed.

The only privacy restrictions in public are that of children. Someone can take your picture and sell it online or in a store without your consent, if that photo was taken in a ‘non-private’ place.

So when Brittany is walking down the street, anyone can take her pic and sell it, because the expectation of privacy is not granted in that setting.
Now, if she’s in her house and someone takes a photo with a tele-zoom lens, THEN she can sue for ‘invasion of privacy’.
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By: laughter_every_day

laughter_every_day — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:51:59 +0000

What you heard was wrong.
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By: blackgrumpycat

blackgrumpycat — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:24:59 +0000

You would be surprised at how many people who are papped have actually secretly told them where they are going to be. As long as it is in a public place, then they are fair game.
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By: piegowdealer

piegowdealer — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:41:59 +0000

public figures like politicians and movie stars have "diminished expectation " of privacy.
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By: betty boop

betty boop — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:30:59 +0000

they can legally take your picture in a public place. most media will ask you to sign a weaver or something depending on what is happening in the picture or news – if there is a minor and they speak to the news and it is filmed they HAVE to have parents permission.

we were sledding and a news crew came up to film – asked it they could use the footage and I said yes, but they only use the picture of my niece sledding down the hill not her comment because I am not her parent. (Darn she is such a cutie.)
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By: kirsty b

kirsty b — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:59:59 +0000

No it is no illegal , most paparazzi have insurance . I am a film maker and we have errors and ommison insurance so if we take an image of a person with out there permission we cant get sued
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By: There -Take that

There -Take that — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:12:59 +0000

Actually, it isn’t illegal to take someone’s picture if they’re just walking down the street or something. Not long ago, I read about a "man" (total idiot) who runs a website that posts pictures of little children. (It’s basically a pervert site, but he operates it from outside the U.S. and he hasn’t technically broken any laws so they can’t stop him.)

There is nothing to stop him from taking pictures of your child as you walk down the street with him or her. I would imagine it’s the same for anyone in a public setting. From what I can gather, the person who takes the picture holds the copyright to it and can do as they please with it. Now if someone was taking pictures of someone else in a private setting without them knowing about it (like peeking in their windows), that would probably be a whole different thing.
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By: SpookyMulder

SpookyMulder — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:44:59 +0000

Not if you are in public. If you are in a public place they can legally take your picture.
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