October 29, 2007

New NYC picture-taking rules discard permit plan

City officials have backed off plans to implement crazy rules about taking pictures in New York City and now plan to "allow people using hand-held equipment, including tripods, to shoot for any length of time on sidewalks and in parks as long as they leave sufficient room for pedestrians," according to the New York Times.

Earlier this year, the city had proposed a rule that could have forced groups of tourists or even bird watchers with cameras to get a permit and a million dollars of insurance if they stayed in one location for more than 30 minutes or used a tripod.

The Times explains the background:

The film office originally agreed to write the rules as part of a settlement in April of a lawsuit brought on behalf of Rakesh Sharma, a documentary filmmaker who was detained by the police in 2005 after using a hand-held video camera in Midtown. Told that he was required to have a permit to film on city property, Mr. Sharma later pursued a permit and discovered that there were no written guidelines on how they were granted, according to the lawsuit.

October 29, 2007 07:58 AM in Etceterology

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