The Photographer's Right - A Downloadable Flyer

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

The Photographer's Right - A Downloadable Flyer

Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography

     The right to take photographs is now under assault more than ever.
People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over
their personal property simply because they were taking photographs of
subjects that made other people uncomfortable. Recent examples include
photographing industrial plants, bridges, and vessels at sea. For the most
part, attempts to restrict photography are based on misguided fears about
the supposed dangers that unrestricted photography presents to society.

     Ironically, unrestricted photography by private citizens has played an
integral role in protecting the freedom, security, and well being of all
Americans. Photography in the United States has contributed to improvements
in civil rights, curbed abusive child labor practices, and provided
information important to investigating crimes. These images have not always
been pretty and often have offended the sensibilities of governmental and
commercial interests who had vested interests in a status quo that was
adverse to the majority in our country.

     Photography has not contributed to a decline in public safety or
economic vitality in the United States. When people think back to the acts
of terrorism that have occurred over the last forty years, none have
depended on or even involved photography. Restrictions on photography would
have not prevented any of these acts. Similarly, some corporations have a
history of abusing the rights of photographers under the guise of protecting
their trade secrets. These claims are almost always bogus since entities are
required to keep trade secrets from public view if they want to protect
them. Trade secret laws do not give anyone the right to persecute
photographers. 

     The Photographer's Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based
on the ACLU's Bust Card and the Know Your Rights flyer. It may be downloaded
and printed out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may make copies and carry
them your wallet, pocket or camera bag to give you quick access to your
rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography. You may
distribute the guide to others provided that such distribution is not done
for commercial gain and credit is given to the author.

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

BERT P. KRAGES, ATTORNEY AT LAW
6665 S.W. Hampton Street, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon 97223

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