Opposition Mounts To Calif. Anti-Paparazzi Bill p.33

California newspapers are getting some unexpected but welcome allies in their opposition to a bill aimed at curbing paparazzi.
The California Newspaper Publishers Association already had the support of the TV networks in fighting the measure introduced into the state legislature by Sen. John Burton, D-San Francisco, with a nod from the Screen Actors Guild. The three networks — ABC, CBS and NBC — and CNN even hired a lobbying firm to fight the bill, which would restrain news photography.
CNPA said new opponents include the California Manufacturers Associa-tion, law enforcement agencies, private detectives and unions. The manufacturers are concerned the bill would hamper their efforts to surreptitiously shoot photos of suspected malingerers playing softball while seeking worker's compensation. The cops fear they would be subject to lawsuits for spying on potential criminals. And unions oppose a clause exempting employers from liability for employees who invade someone's privacy — ironically, a provision inserted to mollify CNPA. And, of course, private eyes routinely film people surreptitiously.
"We're enjoying the company, to say the least," said a CNPA spokesman.
The bill, SB 262, would create tort liability for trespassing with the purpose of invading someone's privacy by observing them or capturing their image while they are engaged in a personal or familial moment. Burton has sought to calm the media's concerns by saying his bill is aimed primarily at the more "extreme" tactics of the paparazzi.
In February, a Los Angeles judge found two freelance photographers guilty of misdemeanor false imprisonment stemming from an auto chase of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, to their child's preschool,where they badgered the couple for photos. The judge called their actions "outrageous."
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•(copyrigh: Editor & Publisher July 11, 1998) [Caption]