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Gun-Toting Couple Billed by Photog for Using Viral Photo on Greeting Cards

The St. Louis couple who are facing felony gun charges for pointing guns at protestors marching close to their home have found themselves in yet another legal dispute. The photographer who shot a viral photo of the couple has sent them a bill after discovering that they had turned his photo into greeting cards without permission.

CASE Act Bills Introduced in Congress to Create Copyright Small Claims

Back in 2017, the CASE Act ("Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2017") was introduced to establish a copyright small claims system for pursuing infringements on a smaller scale in the US. That bill expired without being passed, new and revised CASE Act bills were just introduced in both the House and Senate this week to revive the effort.

Trump Just Signed Mandatory Drone Registration Back Into Law

Back in May, a US federal court ruled that personal drones don't need to be registered as part of the FAA's mandatory drone registration program. That just changed: President Trump just signed a defense policy bill that restores the requirement that all recreational drone owners register their aircraft with the government.

House Bill Introduced for Copyright Small Claims

Photographers in the United States are now one step closer toward seeing a copyright small claims system for pursuing infringements on a smaller scale. A new bipartisan House bill has introduced the CASE Act, which stands for the "Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2017."

California Bill Allows Firefighters to Knock Drones Out of the Sky

There have been several incidents recently of camera drones getting in the way of firefighting efforts in California, including a case last week of firefighters being hindered in saving burning cars from a wildfire. Now lawmakers are taking action to deal with this problem.

An upcoming bill aims to give firefighters permission to knock camera drones out of the sky in order to safely do their job.

Photographers Wary of New Wyoming Law Against ‘Data Collecting’ in ‘Open Land’

There have been a number of controversial bills and laws lately, some of which have been pulled or vetoed after protests from photographers and the public. The latest legislation to raise eyebrows comes from the state of Wyoming, which passed a new law in March that prohibits collecting data about the environment to share with the government. Problem is, the wording is so broad that it infringes on photographers' rights.

Texas Bill Limiting the Photography of Cops Dropped After ‘Loud’ Public Outcry

It was a month ago that a Texas lawmaker sparked a hoopla by proposing a bill that would limit the photography and filming of officers. If passed, anyone caught pointing a camera at an officer from within 25 feet could be charged with breaking the law.

Public outcry was swift and loud, and people even began sending death threats to the representative's office. Good news today: the bill is now dead.

Colorado Bill Would Punish Officers Who Interfere with Photographers

A Texas lawmaker recently attracted death threats after proposing a law that would make it illegal for photographers to take pictures of police officers from within 25 feet of them. Colorado is moving in the opposite direction.

The state is considering several bills that would increase police oversight, and one of the bills outlines punishments for police officers who interfere with people who are lawfully using their cameras.

Arkansas Privacy Bill Vetoed, Street Photography Lives Another Day

We reported over the weekend that Arkansas lawmakers had passed a privacy bill that could potentially kill street photography by requiring (in most cases) that photographers get written consent from strangers they photograph. Photographers who don't could get sued by their subjects.

The photography world was in an uproar over the bill and worked hard to get it vetoed by the deadline at the end of the day today. There's now some great news: the bill has been vetoed by Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Arkansas Bill Criminalizes Capturing and Possessing Certain Camera Drone Photos

Update: There have been new developments. Please see below.

There's a new bill passing through the Arkansas State Legislature that may be concerning to photographers who operate camera drones. The bill is titled, "Concerning The Use Of An Unmanned Vehicle Or Aircraft That Captures Images; To Create The Criminal Offenses; To Provide For Civil Liability," and it criminalizes certain camera drone usage and the possession of photos captured during that usage.

NPPA Says New California Anti-Paparazzi Bill ‘Threatens First Amendment Rights’

Last Thursday, we told you about the newest anti-paparazzi bill to hit the California State Assembly. Focused on expanding the definition of harassment, SB 606 was drafted for the specific purpose of protecting the children of celebrities -- some hollywood actresses have already spoken out in support of the bill.

As with many a legal mater, however, not everyone is in favor of the bill. While most would agree that protecting children from being harassed by paparazzi is a worthy goal, the NPPA is now officially speaking out against SB 606, warning the public that this bill's vague wording "threatens first amendment rights."

New Vermont Bill Would Make it Illegal to Photograph Anybody Without Consent

A short form bill was recently introduced into the Vermont House of Representatives that ought to have photographers curious, if not worried. That's because this particular bill seeks to "make it illegal to [photograph] a person without his or her consent ... and distribute it," essentially outlawing most forms of public photography.

Proposed New Hampshire Bill May Make Aerial Photography a Misdemeanor

New Hampshire House of Representatives member Neal Kurk (R) recently backed a bill that plans to ban almost all aerial photography in the state by classifying it as a class A misdemeanor. The bill, HB 619-FN, seems to be aimed at protecting people's privacy; however, the fact that it specifically excludes government officials from the ban has raised concerns regarding just that.

Canadian Photogs Now Officially Own the Copyright to All of Their Photos

A big win for photographers in Canada: as of today, you now officially own the copyright to all your photographs regardless of whether they were commissioned. The development comes as a result of Canada major copyright reform bill (Bill C-11) taking effect this morning. One of the stated goals of the new copyright law is to, "give photographers the same rights as other creators."

Connecticut Bill Could Make Police Liable for Interfering with Photographers

In the past year -- and especially with the growth of the "occupy" movement -- police interfering with photographers or pedestrians trying to snap a photo of them has been in the news quite a lot. Just yesterday we reported on the Olympics' security guards who landed in hot water after harassing photogs shooting from public land. In the past, this was no problem, as police officers had little to fear in way of personal liability when they interfered; however, a new Connecticut bill -- the first of its kind -- may soon change that.