Bridling the unbridled paparazzi
By Brad on Jun 26, 2008 in Worth Considering | comments(0)
Those of us who have had to deal with the paparazzi know all to well the torment of an out-of-control horde of insatiable vultures stalking your every move without relief. Aside from the extreme annoyance, they also often put people in danger as they chase celebs on foot and in vehicles, sometimes in high-speed dramatic pursuits that have tragic consequences.
(What do you mean that you don’t believe that’s a problem for me personally? Okay, maybe not … but please continue … )
You’ve likely read the many stories of celebreties complaining about the outrageous paparazzi harassment. If you have ever caught an episode of TMZ TV, which I’ve caught by accident when it came on after another program I was watching, you start to realize just how insane the problem has become. It’s beyond absurd. And nothing will improve with the obscene sums of money motivating unashamed, sleazy voyeurs-for-hire.
The Online Photographer, Michael Johnston, has proposed a solution: The Celebmark.
What if a law were passed that established a new sort of trademark—a trademark on the photographic image of a famous face, prohibiting usage for commercial or promotional purposes without permission?
I’m talking about an anti-Paparazzi trademark.
Mike proposals several guidelines for the Celebmark, which would not prevent the pictures from being taken but rather prevent those pictures “from being used for financial gain based on the identity and notoriety of the subject without the subject’s consent.” Yet, he recognizes that there could be abuse of such protection and proposes the perfect solution:
… aspiring and minor stars might clamor for the protection in order to prove that they are bigger stars than they actually are. Real publicity hounds (and perhaps the odd exhibitionist!) might be exposed as wanting their pictures taken, by virtue of the fact that they don’t apply for the protection even though they could.
To prevent holders of celebmarks from enforcing them unreasonably, half of any financial damages awarded could go to the courts (for imposing on their already crowded schedules) and the other half to charity.
Cut off the financial incentive for the paparazzi and you’ll quickly remedy the pervasive paparrazi problem.
