1982chris911 said:
I know that this is no Canon Rumor, but it is very important and might affect nearly all amateur and professional photographers in Europe:
versus
Considers that the commercial use of photographs, video footage or other images of works which are permanently located in physical public places should always be subject to prior authorization from the authors or any proxy acting for them
What’s your definition of “amateur photographers” exactly?
The proposal is about “commercial use”.
There is no definition given of “commercial use” but in general we’re talking about using photography to sell or promote a product or service (advertising, merchandising, etc.). That is not something “amateur photographers” do.
You also have “editorial photography” (journalism, education). Newspapers, magazines and educational material can be sold commercially but that doesn’t mean the pictures in them fall under “commercial use”.
Without a clear definition of the commercial use involved in this proposal it’s hard to say if this is as bad as it’s made out to be in this petition.
It reads like a huge exaggeration. Take the next line for instance:
1982chris911 said:
With this, Street-, Travel- and Architecture-Photography would be dead as we know it.
Can you take pictures of people in public places and use them in advertising without their (written) approval? Most countries don’t allow that. Does this mean street- and travel photography with people in it is dead? I don’t think so.
If you have solid arguments, you don’t need to scare people into signing a petition.