Taking a break in the hall of dead artists, RISD

My friends F-3,s shutter clicked like a car door slammng in the otherwise nearly silent museum. I raised my camera to my eye to frame a shot when "Hey! There is no photography in here!" was shouted by a dissembodied voice. Funny now I realise a second meaning to that statement but it was the admonishment against such activity that was the intent of the voice. I sought the source of these words for some explanation, for aside from the relatively loud F-3 (normal for SLR standards) we were causing no disturbance and using no flash, which was the old justification for these rules. I located the gentleman and inquired (politely). I was informed that the artists claim an infringement of intellectual property rights. I conceded that it was private property and they could make any rule they wished but still question this argument. We were in a hall of sculptures and three dimensional works. I was photographing people and their response or interaction to the art; my friend was doing about the same thing but also some of the structure of the museum itself as there was an interesting lighting effect in the corridor leading to this chamber. To me, I was infringing upon the sculptor as much as someone recording video in the streets would be infringing if a convertible driven by a very attractive woman passed by and caught the cameraman's attention. The moment is recorded on video for its visual appeal but Lady Gaga was playing on her sound system and is audible in the final result. Has Lady Gaga's intellectual property been stolen? Doesn't the final use of the footage determine that?

Net result was we were free to photograph as much as we wanted in the areas were the artists were...ahem ...dead.

Done