Posted by karen • 0 comments • Filed under: News, Press
Many agree that today was a day in which a step has been made toeards the right direction in punishing paparazzi behavior. Earlier a bill that will impose stricter penalties to paparazzi was passed with a 43-13 vote. What are the reprecussions and acts that will bring them about?
There will be “penalties on photographers who break traffic laws in pursuit of a photo. Under the legislation approved today by the state legislature, those busted can receive up to a $5,000 fine and a year in prison.”
An Assembly analysis of the bill says it’s “intended to curb the reckless and dangerous lengths that paparazzi will sometimes go in order to capture the image of celebrities. Of particular concern is the practice of surrounding a celebrity or the celebrity’s vehicle in a manner that does not permit an avenue of escape. In addition, paparazzi have allegedly engaged in dangerous and high-speed chases on the public highways in their efforts to capture photographs. The author contends that this kind of behavior is especially a problem in Los Angeles, with its high concentration of stars and celebrities.”
Last year Governor Schwarzenegger passed a bill into law that fines paparazzi who invaded a celebrities right to privacy, including the media outlets who purchased them.
With that said, will this law and the bill passed today have any effect on the way papparazzi treat celebrities in California? One would hope so but there is little to any chance of it actually working unless they are enforced. Even then, those who break the laws only get a slap on the wrist through being fined. Tell me, what’s $5,000 to a papparazzi who can sell a photograph of Robert hanging out with his friends and receive up to $25,000? In the end he still made $20,000 off the privacy of someone else. As far as media outlets, the low fine is nothing compared to the number of hist and growth in viewship their magaxines and sites receive.
We hope that this new bill, if passed does bring at least a break into the antics of the paparazzi. In the end, as long as there is a demmand for intrusive photos, they will continue doing what they are doing. This is why we repeat that fans have the power. If you click these sites or buy their gossip magazines, you are supporting their actions and helping them pay their fine.
Let’s do our part and help celebrities like Robert Pattinson get the respect and privacy they deserve.
For more information on bill AB 2479 check out CapitolAlert and THR
