It is official!
Today our Minister of National Defence published the first project of the description of the "Photography forbidden" sign, which is to be hung out on strategically important objects/infrastructure. Most of you might already have figured out what that means for most of railfans :)
The sign is to be a square of 60x60cm with the text ZAKAZ FOTOGRAFOWANIA (height of letters 7,45 cm and 3,35 cm respectively), three pictures of a camera, a phone and a video camcorder of 16cm in diameter and the ban is to be translated into 4 languages (English, German, Russian and Arabic).
It is to be hung out on fences guarding strategically important areas (with a maximal distance of 300 meters between signs) or directly on buildings or pieces of infrastructure which are to be protected.
This is truly a very sad day for photographers all around Poland, but we will have to live with it somehow. It is still uncertain, how many buildings or pieces of infrastructure are to be marked with this sign. Executing this law might also prove very problematic AND some private enterprises might also start hanging out simmilar signs without an official reason or allowance from the state (each area will theoretically have to "apply" for an allowance for the signs).
Keep in mind that this is only a project, it can still be rejected on one of the 14 stages of processing it. Though unlikely, and even if, the topic will most likely come back like a boomerang in the upcoming days.
The penalties for breaking the law in this case might include:
-getting your photography equipement taken away
-a fine of up to 5000 PLN
-getting arrested for up to 30 days.
There is a way of getting around it, though! You only need to write a special application for the minister stating where, when and for what reason you will be photographing. You will receive an answer in up to 14 days (but it doesn't have to always be positive).
For the interested, here's the project (page 9 contains the sign).
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
It is official!
Today our Minister of National Defence published the first project of the description of the "Photography forbidden" sign, which is to be hung out on strategically important objects/infrastructure. Most of you might already have figured out what that means for most of railfans :)
The sign is to be a square of 60x60cm with the text ZAKAZ FOTOGRAFOWANIA (height of letters 7,45 cm and 3,35 cm respectively), three pictures of a camera, a phone and a video camcorder of 16cm in diameter and the ban is to be translated into 4 languages (English, German, Russian and Arabic).
It is to be hung out on fences guarding strategically important areas (with a maximal distance of 300 meters between signs) or directly on buildings or pieces of infrastructure which are to be protected.
This is truly a very sad day for photographers all around Poland, but we will have to live with it somehow. It is still uncertain, how many buildings or pieces of infrastructure are to be marked with this sign. Executing this law might also prove very problematic AND some private enterprises might also start hanging out simmilar signs without an official reason or allowance from the state (each area will theoretically have to "apply" for an allowance for the signs).
Keep in mind that this is only a project, it can still be rejected on one of the 14 stages of processing it. Though unlikely, and even if, the topic will most likely come back like a boomerang in the upcoming days.
The penalties for breaking the law in this case might include:
-getting your photography equipement taken away
-a fine of up to 5000 PLN
-getting arrested for up to 30 days.
There is a way of getting around it, though! You only need to write a special application for the minister stating where, when and for what reason you will be photographing. You will receive an answer in up to 14 days (but it doesn't have to always be positive).
For the interested, here's the project (page 9 contains the sign).
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus