14 DAY TRIAL // As Britney Spears had hit rock bottom and would often be seen driving around Los Angeles accompanied by at least a dozen paparazzi-chauffeured cars, back in early 2008, talk of an anti-paparazzi law that would protect celebrities from this much intrusion started to gain momentum. According to CNN, said law will take effect in January 2010 and will target not only the paparazzi taking the pictures, but also the media outlets buying and then distributing them.
Having experienced on his own what it’s like to be swarmed by paparazzi and not able to move an inch from the blinding flashlights, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the bill for the anti-paparazzi law the other day. Those found in violation of it, meaning those who take shots of celebrities in their spare time and violate their privacy, are liable to a $50,000 fine. The same goes for the media outlets buying the photos in question, CNN says.
“California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new bill into law Sunday that will fine paparazzi for taking photos that invade a celebrity’s right to privacy. The law also targets media outlets who purchase the photos. […] The new California law makes it a crime to take and sell unauthorized photos of celebrities in ‘personal or familial activity.’ Violators face fines up to $50,000. The anti-paparazzi amendment takes effect in January,” the publication informs.
Countless celebrities have already had their share of media invasion, from Schwarzenegger to Spears and Jennifer Aniston. As fans must remember, in her bleakest period, Britney Spears had a public meltdown, when she got out of her car and attacked a photographer and his SUV with her umbrella. The pap was only mildly injured, but not the same could be said about his car – or the umbrella, for that matter. Aniston, on her part, was awarded financial damages and a public apology after a paparazzo took photos of her in her back garden, working on her tan.
Still, there is another aspect as well to the entire paparazzi-celebrities situation, one that is not known to the general public. Many stars (Spears included) have people on their staff whose only job is to call the paps and let them know about their whereabouts for the next couple of hours, so that they can come to take pictures.