The NPPA is suing California over the state's controversial Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), saying the law forces independent contractors like photographers and visual journalists to "become employees of their clients," whether or not this is preferable or even feasible.
An recent court order banning photography outside the Arizona Supreme Court in Phoenix and Court of Appeals in Tucson is being criticized as unconstitutional. The court says the order is meant to stop "abuse and intimidation," but critics say it infringes on people's First Amendment rights and puts photojournalists in an "untenable position."
The city of Atlanta, Georgia, has an old local law from 1977 that makes it illegal to shoot photos of people on public sidewalks. The law has never resulted in an arrest or citation, but it did make the news last week after police officers reportedly cited the ordinance to prevent photographers from taking pictures on city sidewalks.
The NPPA and 11 news organizations wrote a letter to Atlanta's mayor, Kasim Reed, and now Atlanta is saying that the law will be repealed.
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) announced this week that it has joined in on a new lawsuit filed against the state of Wyoming over recent laws that criminalizes "data collecting" in "open land." Among other things, the NPPA argues that the laws put photojournalists on the wrong end of the law for legitimate work.
There's a legal battle currently raging in the state of Texas that concerns photography. More specifically, it concerns improper photography -- defined as photographing another person without their consent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of another person -- which was illegal until the state's Fourth Court of Appeals declared the statute prohibiting it unconstitutional.
Freelance paparazzi photographer Paul Raef was arrested back on July 6th after chasing Justin Bieber on 101 Freeway, becoming the first person charged under a new anti-paparazzi law signed by former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Raef is currently facing four misdemeanors, with two of them being "following another vehicle too closely and reckless driving, with the intent to capture pictures for commercial gain." The punishment is up to one year in jail and $3,500 in fines.
The Los Angeles Times reports that his lawyers are now trying to have the anti-paparazzi law declared as unconstitutional, saying that it specifically and unfairly targets a certain group of news gatherers.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a new law last week that makes it …