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February 28, 2013

Proposal in New Hampshire Would Ban Most Aerial Photography

By Ed Silverstein, TMCnet Contributor

It’ll be a lot harder to take aerial photos in New Hampshire if the State Legislature approves a new proposal to ban its practice.

State Rep. Neal Kurk (R-Weare) has proposed a bill banning aerial photography in the state unless someone is taking photos for the government or law enforcement agencies.

The bill, HB 619-FN, would make it illegal for someone to create or assist “in creating an image of the exterior of any residential dwelling in this state where such image is created by or with the assistance of a satellite, drone, or any device that is not supported by the ground. This prohibition shall not apply where the image does not reveal forms identifiable as human beings or man-made objects.”



By including the words "man-made objects," it would make aerial photography – such as photographs from airplanes and helicopters, as well as Google (News - Alert) Maps – illegal, concludes a recent blog post from Motherboard.vice.com.

“Such broad legislation is terrible,” Derek Mead added in the blog post.

The bill reportedly calls for a fine of $62.71 per case in the 2014 fiscal year, increasing to $64.40 per case in future years. Prison time is possible as well.

The bill comes as many states are trying to come to grips with drones, which are being used globally by the U.S. government to attack suspected terrorists. It’s been suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted up to 327 licenses for drones already, and may license some 10,000 drone systems by 2017, according to AGBeat.

Domestically, a project to monitor four million miles of U.S. highways with the use of drones received $74,984 from both the Federal Highway Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation, TMCnet said. Georgia is among several states which want to see how drones could help in emergencies and for more routine transportation needs.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire bill is leading to an outcry. There are many comments being posted on AG Beat in response to the proposal. For instance, Demtrev Tonstoski said, “People have been able to do this with zoom [lenses] in planes for years. I don't think this Rep. Kurk has thought through his bill very well. Why not just leave it alone until a real problem arises. Right now, the bill just seems too nitpicky.”

In addition, BlondeFurious said, “this is an awful, awful bill. In the hands of the masses, the fantastic advantages of drone aerial technology far outweigh the negatives. Think of aerial crop scouting, validating insurance claims, taking overhead pictures of your property, leveraging another great tool for professional photography, filming independent films, etc.” 

Shawn Woelfel comments that, “The ban proposals are getting way out of hand. You're trying to ban [someone’s] hobby, and even worse, some peoples’ profession. Get real.”




Edited by Braden Becker
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