Jez asked: >Is it possible to copyright an area of land you own especially as it is an >area of outstanding natural beauty. How would you stand photographing it >from the sea rather than on the estate land. Jez, My day job is a tv news cameraman and issues like this affect me and my colleagues continually. The law of the land (UK) is this: you and I can take images, moving or otherwise, from a public right of way, or from a private property with express permission from the owner (it need not be written) - - of anything. HOWEVER, obviously if you go clambering through a neigbour's bushes to get that all-time-great shot of Anna Kornickerova sunning butt-neked by the pool, and she sees you, calls the police, they arrest you, and she sues, you might be in court fairly quickly. The court case outcome would be the test. In your case, Lulworth Cove, as Bob has mentioned, is probably one of the most photographed locations in the UK. As such, I doubt anyone anywhere will suddenly see a nice pic of it published in three year's time in some travel brochure - and even then they'd have a mighty job proving you were the perpetrator (assuming you stood on their land while taking it), and succeeding in court. The golden rule in the UK is 'right of way'. This means an obvious road, a Byway (most RUPPs- Roads Used as a Public Path - have now been reclassified by county councils and called Byways, or downgraded to: ), a Bridle Path, or a footpath. Note that the last two often pass across remote areas of private land - so if you're standing on a footpath on private land overlooking Lulworth Cove, what's the deal? When on a footpath (etc) you have the right to 'pass and re-pass' along it - you don't even need a destination. You do not have a right to stand there and photograph things - HOWEVER, it's not against the law. IE it is not a criminal act, and accordingly you cannot be stopped simply for taking pics (unless the local police think you are causing an obstruction, flashing, drunk in charge of an MZ-S etc). HOWEVER, what if the landowner and a brace of grass-munching, smock-wearing, Dorset-types suddenly come across you and challenge you? If it were me, and it has been on many an occasion, one makes one's excuses and leaves. They might not even be the landowner - people will accost you anyway these days! I've had nutters telling me I can't film here, there and everywhere. Depending on my quick assessment of their intelligence, I answer accordingly, often agreeing with them and saying yes I know, isn't it awful, all this press intrusion etc etc. I get people coming up to me while I'm holding a dirty great big Betacam SX with zillions of microphones, rain covers, radio mics, kitchen sinks aboard and saying 'which paper are you from??' Sometimes I wish I *was* a stills man instead - so much easier to hide gear - and run! So, where was I? Passing and repassing. No problem, but don't shout about it, remember the old saying, there's nowt so queer as folk! Years ago I filmed a peace demo at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire. You may remember that the base was used by the Americans as a home for a squadron of Aardvarks (F1-11 fighter/bombers) used most notably in the bombing of Tripoli. Anyway, some eagle-eyed protesters had spotted that there existed a footpath (on the council's definitive map) that went in a straight line across what now was an active runway! Unfortunately, when the base was built, nobody had applied for a diversion of the path - and so it still carried full rights. Hence, several campaigners cut through a perimeter fence and proceeded to march along [the footpath] as far as they could, under the watchful gaze of UK police, RAF Police, and disbelieving USAF police. Once a hole was cut, on they went. In for a penny, in for a pound I thought, so through I and a couple of other crews and a few stills guys went. Well you can guess the USAF police were in meltdown (can you imagine this on a prairie in Nevada - the old AK47s or whatever it is they use out there would have been on song well before this point), but the gentler, reasoning arm of the UK law prevailed, and the demo, now about 20 strong, was allowed to progress, by negotiation, to within 20 yards or so of the runway, and return to the hole in the fence. I remember Catholic Bishop Bruce Kent was amongst them, and naturally we got an interview while marching along. Of course, media attention was all they were after, and, point made, everyone waltzed back through the fence. The USAF police jumped about in the background like some sort of bizarre dance act (remember the scene in The Blues Brothers with the heroes being chased by SWAT teams 'hut hut hut' etc?) but realising they were completely at a loss here. Had they had it their way, we would have been leaving in bags... The moral of the story? You can basically get away with what you can get away with. I have to operate within the law, as must we all, by conscience. Sure it's been bent a little, but never broken. If you are as sure as hell you are within you rights, argue your case, stand your corner, but it might be a lot less arduous to be polite, back down, and do what I do: pop around the corner of the hedge and grab the shot anyway! Hope this is of some help, sorry for the length. Cheers, Cotty _______________________________________________________ Personal email traffic to [EMAIL PROTECTED] MacAds traffic to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Check out the UK Macintosh ads www.macads.co.uk - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
