Coke Says No Tripod Shots In Olympic Park

Thats a great shot, love night images. I find it hard to believe that there is a law that prevents public photography but you would have to wait to argue with with a judge in the morning, if you make the cop mad.

It's not uncommon post-9/11 (and probably even pre-) for authorities to give photographers a hard time. But courts have consistently ruled that taking pictures in any public space is protected by the 1st amendment. The only exceptions are if you're being disruptive (like with a 50-foot tripod) or shooting something with more demonstrable security exposure than a Coke museum.

Dr. J is correct. Precedent is that public is public w/ very few exceptions. Photographing certain parts of military bases may be exempt, but not nec. from the air in a passenger plane, at whatever einsy resolution that might produce.

Recently, well known person had beautiful iron gates made and installed. Mermaids, etc. Very Rodin-ish and beautifully modeled. Across the road, (wide wide road) a green hilly city park. A film co set up a shoot in park with proper permits, and included said gates in their film. Famous person sued for invasion of privacy and two other charges. Lost. Within the public view is within the public view apparently. Doesnt matter quality of art, or whether art or not. Very interesting part of intellectual property law that I read on precendents , as the film-makers could have been said to be 'sampling' the view, under fair use.... if/when someone decided to trademark or copyright their gates. lol

Coke may have a trademark on the shape of whatever it is they have hung out in public and perhaps that was where they were attempting to stand legally. However, private security and police moon lighting will sometimes seeming bully over small matters. The DNC in Denver was proof of that recently ...I reported here at TMV, when a reporter wanted to stand at one end of a 20 foot wide staircase and phtog Veddy Important Demos who were entering the Brown Palace to have an undisclosed meeting with Obama. The local police hired to guard that meeting, literally pushed and shoved reporter into street saying he was obstructing a place of business.

not unless one of the Demmies was a real heavyweight more than 20 feet wide in the hips.

dr.e

Joe, is this your photo? Or someone else's? Has it been altered in color? deepening saturation?

dr.e

Just be thankful you weren't also a professor of African American studies from Harvard!

My understanding is the field he was in was owned by Coke. Stupid but legal if thaat is the case.

Great scott, man! Never try to have a measured discussion or any kind of logical discourse with a police officer! You could end up tased or worse!

I have nothing against police officers, but their job is to enforce what they believe are the rules (more often than not the rules they enforce actually ARE the rules, but sometimes not.) They are not into chatting over whether the order they just gave you is 1) lawful; 2) fair; 3) true to the actual law; or 4) reasonable.

I'm reminded of the scene in "Ghostbusters" where one guy says to the other, "if she asks you if you're a God, say yes!!"

If a police officer tells you to move along, just do it.

No, Centennial Olympic Park is owned and operated by the state of Georgia. Which might be indeed be hard to separate from the Coca Cola Company, but apparently there's a legal distinction.

I read about a similar disagreement a photographer got into in a public transit station and dealt with pretty well. He was polite but stood his ground that he was within his rights and let the cops take him off to an office and write him up. Trouble was, once they started consulting the regulation book, they couldn't find anything to charge him with. He's a free man to this day.

If he is south of Baker st. then yes it is public, but the north is "private". Even so Centennial Olympic Park is not owned or operated by the city or state but rather by The Georgia World Congress Center Authority and they can set policy just like they do inside the dome, which they also operate. It is not a city park the city, or state, did not pay for the park and I't hassn't been made clear that he was truly in the park. It has been reported he was on Pemberton Place which is directly owned by coke and adjacent to the park.

Taking photo is permitted or not is depends on place. There should be an instruction note at places if photography is not allowed. I don’t know about the place but if the photography is allowed then it is a mistake of cops. Use of tripod is restricted looks a joke to me.