Hungarian Law Says Photogs Must Ask Permission To Take Pictures

An anonymous reader writes "Those planning a weekend break in Budapest take note. From 15 March anyone taking photographs in Hungary is technically breaking the law if someone wanders into shot, under a new civil code that outlaws taking pictures without the permission of everyone in the photograph. According to the justice ministry, people taking pictures should look out for those 'who are not waving, or who are trying to hide or running out of shot.' Officials say expanding the law on consent to include the taking of photographs, in addition to their publication, merely codifies existing court practice. However, Hungary's photographers call the law vague and obstructive, saying it has left the country of Joseph Pulitzer and photography legend Robert Capa out of step with Europe."

great law

[Anonymous Coward]

i dont care about "photographers rights" or any b.s. damn i do not want to be in a photo taken by a stranger! i hide my face (try to) when i walk past idiotic tourists and goddamn "photographers". the thing i hate the most is people who take photos/video in protests. yes why don't you put that up on facebook and alert my boss or the fascist gov't while you're at it.

i wish i lived in hungary. great law. intrusive photography is rude. improving tech has made people rude and idiotic!

Re:Out of step with reality

[lemur3]

id add that the local city/state laws might be different on model releases for commercial use, but that they are certainly not universal through the US, just as we see with our "wiretap" laws.. check your local listings, subject to change.. presume that you wont get arrested/sued for wiretapping someone when you video tape them on the street.

Cameras are ubiquitous.

[Patent Lover]

Billions of photos taken every day. This kind of law just lets the government selectively prosecute somebody they don't like. I also assume it doesn't apply to surveillance cameras.