Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently signed a new law which protects the Californian celebrities from paparazzi who cross the line.

The law triples the damages celebrities can seek from paparazzi if they are assaulted during a shoot. The photographers cannot profit from any pictures that is taken during the incident, if they are convicted of assaulting a celebrity.

Moreover, the victims can seek a court order that constrains the paparazzi to give all the money they have earned from the pictures taken.

BBC News quotes Cindy Montanez, the Assemblywoman who proposed the bill, as saying: "This bill hits the paparazzi where it hurts - the wallet. Money is their motivation, so taking away their money will be the solution."

The number of celebrities involved in stalking incident or suffering accidents while being pursued by paparazzi increased over the last few years.

In 2005, many young actresses, among them Reese Witherspoon, Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson, have been involved in serious clashes with photographers.