N.Y. develops new film regs

August 06, 2007 After months of protest, the New York Civil Liberties Union and filmmakers have convinced the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting to revise proposed rules requiring the use of a permit for people filming or taking photographs for just a few minutes. The April settlement of the lawsuit, filed on behalf of documentary filmmaker Rakesh Sharma after he was detained by police for handheld video camera filming, required the city to create rules defining when people need permits for the first time in history. Both sides have expressed intentions to create rules that don't obstruct city pedestrian traffic, but Lieberman added that "if the rules don't protect people's right to take photographs, we won't hesitate to file a lawsuit."

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