No Pictures Allowed ???

[cathyJ]

My co-worker was telling me today that recently she had uploaded a video on You Tube that she had taken some years back when she visited Hersheypark only to have You Tube pull the clip over copyright reasons "per request of Hersheypark" or so she says anyway. She also told me that in her Hersheypark clip that she had uploaded on You Tube there were a few minutes of a scene she took of the band "Live" when they were doing a show at that park's stadium so I wonder if that is the reason why her clip got removed.

 

Anyway with that being said over the years I have heard that there are some parks that are a bit "weird" when it comes to picture taking as if they don't encourage it. Who? Why?

 

Not talking about taking a camera on the ride itself but are there certain things in a park where one isn't supposed to be taking pics of?

 

Now in the past I have heard of people who have taken pics of kiddie rides only to finding themselves into some hot water because they had taken pics of kids and their parents didn't like it. That happened at a local county fair not far from me a few years back. Plus I can remember back in the 80's Kings Dominon didn't allow "video taping" from anywhere inside the park, not even those then-brand new camcorders. KD never did say at the time why they weren't allowed though of course one can video tape stuff inside the park now.

[jarmor]

youtube has become very...well...anal about alot of stuff lately...

[Holtskee]

A while back someone here (or elsewhere) posted a horror story of nearly being arrested at Carowinds for shooting an off-ride video of Thunder Road. The park's Head of Security confiscated their video camera and told them to never set foot on the property again, despite the fact that no rules where being broken or violated.

 

I haven't taken a video camera to Carowinds since I read that 2 or 3 years ago, though to my knowledge they have no written notice anywhere that specifically forbids use of such cameras at the park.

[Ccron10]

After searching on You Tube, there are a lot of videos posted of bands playing in hersheypark Stadium (especially Jonas Brothers). My guess is that the band wanted the video removed. I don't think Hersheypark would be involved in this because the park invited and paid the band to play. If the copyright problem was with the music, then that would be the band's problem.

Just my theory.

[Jew]

I was under the impression that most parks have something buried in the fine print of their rules about reserving the right to control/deny any photos/videos taken on their property.

[Kennyweird]

A while back someone here (or elsewhere) posted a horror story of nearly being arrested at Carowinds for shooting an off-ride video of Thunder Road. The park's Head of Security confiscated their video camera and told them to never set foot on the property again, despite the fact that no rules where being broken or violated.

 

I haven't taken a video camera to Carowinds since I read that 2 or 3 years ago, though to my knowledge they have no written notice anywhere that specifically forbids use of such cameras at the park.

 

This can't possibly be true. Plenty of people on this site have gone to Carowinds and haven't reported any unusual policies regarding cameras or video.

 

Just another BS horror story.

[CHILLERLC1]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was the band or the label. I use a clip of Goo Goo Dolls' Better Days official music video every year on a profile for New Years Eve to not find it this year except concert clips. Maybe WB wanted the official one down.

[Pufferfish]

A while back someone here (or elsewhere) posted a horror story of nearly being arrested at Carowinds for shooting an off-ride video of Thunder Road. The park's Head of Security confiscated their video camera and told them to never set foot on the property again, despite the fact that no rules where being broken or violated.

 

Well, that could have happened, depending on where your friend was standing taking the video. Only place I know of that you can take an off ride video of Thunder Road is probably in a restricted area. If so, then security had every right to do that. If not, then I have a really hard time believing this story.

[Noxegon]

I was told that still photographs were not permitted in Codona's Amusement Park in Aberdeen - a slightly nonsensical policy really considering that the park actually sells instant cameras!

[XanderLee]

A security officer at SFGAdv told my friend he wasn't allowed to take pictures of the rides (Medusa, not a kiddie ride or anything) in motion.

 

So this kind of stuff does happen.

[viking86]

Me and my friend had a few incidents at SFGADV last summer. The first one was when we decided to get a few shots of Kingda Ka from the parking lot. It probably only took a minute before a security car puller over and said we couldnt take pictures or video from the parking lot. I cant say it bothered me that much though, as it was pretty much as expected.

 

The second one was a bit stranger. We spent two days in the park and at the end of day two we were standing underneath the first drop of B:TR when a security guard came over to me and said that you could not record the rollercoasters, only take pictures. I wanted to ask why he was the first one to say anything inside the park during those two days, but as I had covered pretty much everything and I didnt want my tape confiscated I decided to keep the reply to 'okay'.

[Yeti762]

Amazing how the rule is supposed to be "no on board video taping or photographs", but it gets twisted around to "no videotaping or photgraphs of the rides AT ALL".

 

It reminds me of the old telephone game where the message changes dramatically by the time it makes its way to the end.

 

[Speeddeamon128]

Me and my friend had a few incidents at SFGADV last summer. The first one was when we decided to get a few shots of Kingda Ka from the parking lot. It probably only took a minute before a security car puller over and said we couldnt take pictures or video from the parking lot. I cant say it bothered me that much though, as it was pretty much as expected.

 

The second one was a bit stranger. We spent two days in the park and at the end of day two we were standing underneath the first drop of B:TR when a security guard came over to me and said that you could not record the rollercoasters, only take pictures. I wanted to ask why he was the first one to say anything inside the park during those two days, but as I had covered pretty much everything and I didnt want my tape confiscated I decided to keep the reply to 'okay'.

 

That is odd since I live 45 minutes away I have so much GADV footage. I take a camera with me every trip for TRs & a video camera once in a while. I filmed in front of security workers last season a couple of times as well & no employee ever told me not to film. I even snuck a camera on some coasters for a couple of POVs on Nitro, Scream Machine, Batman: The Ride, Medusa, & El Toro. All of course before I became a TPR member, now I follow park rules.

[Angry_Gumball]

I had this happen to me last season at CGA during the haunt. I was near a maze, (not in it or in the queue) recording my cousin being chased by one of the monsters when some random security came up to me and firmly told me that I can't take any video or pictures. I replied in shock with a 'really? at all?' and that pretty much ended my session of taping. That night, I saw almost everyone walking around with cameras getting pictures.

 

The next visit the following weekend, I felt like I had to sneak taking pictures when I finally realized that was only 1 guard ordering and I will probably never see him again...and carried on taking pictures with no problems. I even walked past a variety of security, even had monsters posing for me and went smooth. I guess some security just feel like they have that ultimate God-like upper hand and can push everyone around.

[Speeddeamon128]

^Something simular happened to me at Dorney's Haunt except a scarer whispered in my ear "Put it away," meaning my camera, in a corn maze. It scared the crap out of me Apart from that I filmed most of the time & wasn't bothered.

[Rollerman87]

I know with any of the Haunts, the park ups security bigtime, so I'm not surprised about some bigheaded parttime rent-a-cop telling you that. For the regular season, though, that is weird. I've taken a ton of pics and vid at SFMM, Knott's, USH, Cedar Point, and Geauga Lake and all those without a problem. I know as an employee of Knott's that I cannot take pics back stage, but even then, I have seen employees take pics back stage of props and stuff and no one says anything. Weird

[cathyJ]

I know with any of the Haunts, the park ups security bigtime, so I'm not surprised about some bigheaded parttime rent-a-cop telling you that. For the regular season, though, that is weird. I've taken a ton of pics and vid at SFMM, Knott's, USH, Cedar Point, and Geauga Lake and all those without a problem. I know as an employee of Knott's that I cannot take pics back stage, but even then, I have seen employees take pics back stage of props and stuff and no one says anything. Weird

 

Its the same thing with other businesses as well. A great example is shopping malls. Many of them don't allow pics to be taken inside the mall.

The department store chain Kohls goes one step further..no pics..period. Not even the employees or media are allowed to do that, not even during Christmas parties.

 

When I worked in radio, even though quite often we would snap pics inside such as in the studio for example but we weren't allowed to post them online and that was enforced, by other radio stations thanks to an "agreement" between my station and the others in the market due to those arbitron ratings. In other words a company like Clear Channel had the right to demand my pics be removed from a website even though I didn't work for Clear Channel.

 

That would be like say Hersheypark demanding pics of Kennywood be removed from a site even though the two parks have nothing to do with each other. It is weird but "normal" in radio.

[Jew]

Amazing how the rule is supposed to be "no on board video taping or photographs", but it gets twisted around to "no videotaping or photgraphs of the rides AT ALL".

 

It reminds me of the old telephone game where the message changes dramatically by the time it makes its way to the end.

 

 

Except that the rule IS that parks do have the right to ask you to stop taking pictures and videos on their property. They also reserve the right to ask you to remove any photos and videos, as you are technically taking pictures of their copyrighted material.

[Astat]

Amazing how the rule is supposed to be "no on board video taping or photographs", but it gets twisted around to "no videotaping or photgraphs of the rides AT ALL".

 

It reminds me of the old telephone game where the message changes dramatically by the time it makes its way to the end.

 

 

Except that the rule IS that parks do have the right to ask you to stop taking pictures and videos on their property. They also reserve the right to ask you to remove any photos and videos, as you are technically taking pictures of their copyrighted material.

 

They also technically reserve the right to kick you out of the park for no reason whatsoever. Does that make it right?

[Jew]

^Absolutely. It's private property. Parks reserve the right to remove anybody for any reason.

[cathyJ]

^Absolutely. It's private property. Parks reserve the right to remove anybody for any reason.

 

 

True but even if the photos are done on public land that can be an issue as well. Say for example there is a carnival that is taking place in a shopping center and one of those stores in that shopping center is Kroger ( you can use any other retail store store for that matter since I know Kroger isn't everywhere ). Even if you shot the video from across the street and NOT on the actual property of that shopping center, if you as much as have a few seconds of a scene of that Kroger in your clip then Kroger has every right to get it removed from any website and someone from Kroger has the right to walk across the street and ask you to stop taking pics/filming.

[jamesdillaman]

^ Or you can "Trailer Park Boys" it and blur out every logo, sign, and picture in your video.

 

-James Dillaman

[spaceace12]

^Absolutely. It's private property. Parks reserve the right to remove anybody for any reason.

 

 

True but even if the photos are done on public land that can be an issue as well. Say for example there is a carnival that is taking place in a shopping center and one of those stores in that shopping center is Kroger ( you can use any other retail store store for that matter since I know Kroger isn't everywhere ). Even if you shot the video from across the street and NOT on the actual property of that shopping center, if you as much as have a few seconds of a scene of that Kroger in your clip then Kroger has every right to get it removed from any website and someone from Kroger has the right to walk across the street and ask you to stop taking pics/filming.

 

Not true in most states, iirc. Say you shot something on public property (sidewalk or road), then they can't say jack crap to you about shooting something. If they own the property, then they can. I know this from broadcasting classes (when I would be sent out to shoot stories). As for them removing it from any website, I very much doubt that, that would be freedom of press (speech or something) rights I think.

[ginzo]

^In legal terms, there's no "expectation of privacy" when you're out in public. If you're on the public street, you can photograph whomever or whatever you like. It might be rude to snap someone's or something's photo in public without permission, but it's not illegal.

 

Even if you shot the video from across the street and NOT on the actual property of that shopping center, if you as much as have a few seconds of a scene of that Kroger in your clip then Kroger has every right to get it removed from any website and someone from Kroger has the right to walk across the street and ask you to stop taking pics/filming.

 

Kroger has no such right if the footage was taken out in the public space. Of course they can request that you stop filming, but you have no obligation to honor their request. The whole paparazzi industry is based on this.

[cathyJ]

As for them removing it from any website, I very much doubt that, that would be freedom of press (speech or something) rights I think.

 

Actually freedom of speech/press pretty much only means the goverment ( such as the police for example ) won't get involved and have someone arrested over something they report, post, or say unless of course its a threat or something similar. For example say one day I decided to go on my radio show and say on the air as a joke that I have seen naked people riding Roar at Six Flags America and Six Flags found out about it. No Six Flags can't call the cops and have me arrested and put in jail over my "joke" but Six Flags could sue me over that ( joke or not ) if they can prove in court they had lost business over my statement and no I can't claim "free speech" as a way to protect myself either.

 

With that being said I believe any business/person has the right to ask/try to get anything they want off from any website if they wish. However to actually succeed in doing that is much more harder. It really isn't easy to sue over such things.

 

Really though truth be told, I doubt very much any theme park will go after a website demanding that pics of their rides or whatever be taking off ( for starters that would be bad PR for the park ) unless of course the site is of questionable nature which could hurt the business like the posting of theme park pics on a porn site for example.