The security guard looks up. Must have been alerted by someone watching CCTV that she was being filmed.

Extracts from notes on freedom to photograph people, buildings and things that are in public. See the reference for more detail.

United Kingdom

Section 62 of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 is much broader than the corresponding provisions in many other countries, and allows photographers to take pictures of

* buildings, and
* sculptures, models for buildings and works of artistic craftsmanship (if permanently situated in a public place or in premises open to the public).

without breaching copyright. Such photographs may be published in any way.

Note that under UK law, works of artistic craftsmanship fall into a different copyright category from graphic works such as paintings, photographs, drawings and the like. The freedom provided by Section 62 does not apply to graphic works (which will typically be two-dimensional) such as paintings, murals, advertising hoardings, maps, posters or signs.

The practical effect of the broad Freedom of Panorama provisions in the UK and in other countries with similar laws is that it is acceptable to upload not only photographs of public buildings and sculptures but also works of artistic craftsmanship which are on permanent public display in museums, galleries and exhibitions which are open to the public. According to Copinger and Skoane James, “The expression “open to the public” presumably extends the section to premises to which the public are admitted only on licence or on payment”. Again, this is broader than ‘public place’ which is the wording in many countries.

The attendant at the Tate stopped me from completing this video. Especially ironic as Tate Modern is showing an exhbition called Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera. Where are they going to get covert images from for the next show?

exhibition at Tate Modern 28 May – 3 October 2010

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/exposure/default.shtm

…Exposed offers a fascinating look at pictures made on the sly, without the explicit permission of the people depicted. With photographs from the late nineteenth century to present day, the pictures present a shocking, illuminating and witty perspective on iconic and taboo subjects…

…Much of Exposed focuses on surveillance, including works by both amateur and press photographers, and images produced using automatic technology such as CCTV. The issues raised are particularly relevant in the current climate, with topical debates raging around the rights and desires of individuals, terrorism and the increasing availability and use of surveillance. Exposed confronts these issues and their implications head-on….