-- more on -- Streisand versus Coastal Photo Effort

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Mon, 01 Sep 2003 11:29:33 -0400
> From: Mike Anderson <k8iw () rrohio com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Streisand versus Coastal Photo Effort
> To: dave () farber net
>
>
> Really interesting story, Dave, and check out that house:
>
> http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=3850&mode=big&lastmode=sequential&flags=0
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>
> To: <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Sent: Monday, September 01, 2003 2:09 AM
> Subject: [IP] Streisand versus Coastal Photo Effort
>
>
>
> >Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2003 08:20:19 -0700
> >Subject: Streisand versus Coastal Photo Effort
> >From: Paul Saffo <pls () well com>
> >To: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
> >
> >
> >Dave-
> >
> >This case has important free speech implications.  If Streisand wins,
> >it is a vast blow to any watch-dog who dares pick up a camera.
> >-p
> >-------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Streisand goes coastal over Web photo effort
> >Maria Alicia Gaura, Chronicle Staff Writer
> >Sunday, August 31, 2003
> >©2003 San Francisco Chronicle |Feedback
> >
> >URL:
> >http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/08/31/
> MN305247.DTL
> >
> >When Ken Adelman retired several years ago -- for the second time, at
> >age 37 -- he and his wife, Gabrielle, decided to spend some time in the
> >air,  photographing the entire California coastline from their
> >helicopter and  posting the images free on the World Wide Web.
> >
> >They assumed the barriers to such an ambitious project would be
> >technical. But the Adelmans got some unexpected turbulence: Barbra
> >Streisand.
> >Ken and Gabrielle Adelman, who live in rural Santa Cruz County, came up
> >  with the idea for their California Coastal Records Project in 1996
> >when Ken  volunteered to fly while friends photographed San Simeon on
> >the Central Coast.  (They were fighting a planned development by The
> >Hearst Corp., which owns The  Chronicle.)
> >
> >The San Simeon photos were taken on 35mm film, as were a previous
> >series of  coastal photos taken by the government that ended up stacked
> >in hundreds of  slide carousels.
> >
> >But advances in digital photography, an Apple Powerbook and a
> >jury-rigged  connection to his helicopter's global positioning unit
> >allowed the Adelmans to  shoot the entire coastline and post the
> >results on the Web in less than a  year's time.
> >
> >With Gabrielle at the rudder of a Robinson R44 helicopter and Ken
> >leaning  from the door with a Nikon digital camera, the two documented
> >every nook and  cranny of the coastline, with the shutter clicking away
> >every three seconds  and the GPS documenting latitude and longitude for
> >each shot.
> >
> >"We thought we could start at the Oregon border and just fly our way
> >down  the coast," Gabrielle said, adding that fog and other troubles
> >often meant  they had to reshoot areas.
> >
> >While the state's coast is officially about 840 miles, the Adelmans say
> >  they have shot roughly 1,100 miles, including every cove and
> >promontory.
> >
> >The more than 12,000 images they have posted on
> >www.californiacoastline.org are not the first to document California's
> >Pacific boundary. But the digital  technology, free access and
> >user-friendly Web site design are unprecedented.
> >
> >In addition to scenes of spectacular loveliness, the project also
> >documents  illegal seawalls, sewage outflows, erosion and masses of new
> >development.
> >
> >Now that the kinks have been worked out of the technology, the Adelmans
> >  plan to update the photos every five years or so, and have been
> >approached to  do similar projects in Washington state, around
> >Vancouver Island, in Hawaii  and Mexico and even in Cuba.
> >
> >They also plan to take thousands of coastal slides shot in the 1970s,
> >scan  them into the computer, and display them on the Web site for
> >comparison.
> >
> >But not everyone appreciated their efforts.
> >Vandenberg Air Force Base -- which launches satellites -- has refused
> >to  allow the Adelmans to take photographs.
> >
> >But the reaction from the military was nothing compared to the wrath of
> >  Streisand.
> >
> >One of the 12,700 digital images posted on the Adelman's Web site
> >depicts a  glorious stretch of beach in Malibu -- and a lavish
> >bluff-top estate belonging  to Streisand.
> >
> >Arguing that the photograph violated her privacy, Streisand filed a $50
> >  million lawsuit in May demanding that the photo including her house be
> >removed  from the site, along with the caption reading "Streisand
> >Estate, Malibu."
> >
> >According to her suit, and property owners concerned with the privacy
> >of  homes along the coast, projects like the Adelmans' must be nipped
> >in the bud.
> >
> >"A self-appointed vigilante of the skies," according to court
> >documents,  "Adelman might next want to swoop down and . . . take
> >pictures of homes in the  vicinity of public parks . . . lakes, rivers,
> >hillsides, reservoirs and  highways, all under the pretext that he is
> >documenting the environment. No one  would be spared.''
> >
> >Streisand attorney John Gatti insists the lawsuit is not an attempt to
> >shut  down the Web site, but an attempt to protect the privacy of a
> >celebrity who  has been harassed in the past by stalkers and obsessive
> >fans.
> >
> >The Adelmans rejected the diva's demands, arguing that the photos
> >constitute free speech, were taken from public airspace and are part of
> >a  historic public document.
> >
> >"The biggest reason not to comply is that what we do for Barbra we
> >would  have to do for everybody else," Ken Adelman said. "If we took
> >down her photo  and caption, we'd eventually have to take down the
> >whole thing. We don't feel  we can make exceptions for the people who
> >are wealthy enough to sue us."
> >A technology entrepreneur with a passion for the Internet, the
> >40-year-old  Adelman promptly posted every legal document in the case
> >on his site, as well  as letters, phone messages and flaming e-mail
> >rants.
> >
> >Adelman argues that his own wealth makes him the logical person to
> >fight a  deep-pockets plaintiff like Streisand.
> >
> >While Streisand's wealth has been estimated at $100 million by People
> >Magazine, Adelman sold his first high-tech company to Cisco Systems in
> >1996.  He retired but soon got back in the technology game.
> >
> >He sold his second company to Nokia in 2000. While he kept only a
> >portion  of the $450 million from the two sales, he did retain enough
> >to retire early,  he said, and absorb legal costs that have totaled
> >$250,000 to date.
> >
> >While no people are visible in the contested photo, it does show the
> >arrangement of furniture on the star's lanai, and the placement of
> >windows and  balconies on her three houses, the lawsuit notes.
> >
> >"This case has nothing to do with restricting anyone's freedom of
> >speech or  expression," Gatti said. "I think it's a step in protecting
> >privacy in an age  when advancing technology begins creeping into
> >private lives."
> >
> >As a result, the lawsuit over privacy has generated worldwide publicity
> >--  a good thing for a fledgling Web site but a problematic consequence
> >for a  publicity-averse celebrity.
> >
> >According to Adelman, the Malibu photograph in question was downloaded
> >only  six times in the three months before the lawsuit was filed. But
> >once the story  hit the media, visits to the site surged. An average of
> >108,000 visitors per  day viewed the photograph in June.
> >
> >The Adelmans have filed a motion to dismiss the case, and Streisand has
> >  asked the Los Angeles Superior Court for an injunction ordering the
> >removal of  identifying information from the site until the case is
> >settled. Both sides  are anxiously awaiting a ruling, which will
> >determine whether the case  proceeds to trial.
> >
> >The legal costs are five times what he spent to document the coast,
> >Adelman  said, and a less wealthy person might have given up for lack
> >of money.
> >
> >"I think fighting her is really a public service," Adelman said.
> >"Someone  has to stop her.''
> >
> >E-mail Maria Alicia Gaura at mgaura () sfchronicle com .
> >
> >©2003 San Francisco Chronicle |Feedback
> >
> >   Page A - 1
> >
>
> -------------------------------------
> You are subscribed as k8iw () rrohio com
> To manage your subscription, go to
>   http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
>
> Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/