L.A. ponders law to rein in paparazzi

A Los Angeles city councillor is proposing a local bylaw that would impose a buffer zone between celebrities and the paparazzi.

Coun. Dennis Zine said Friday he wants a law that would create a "personal safety zone" between photographers and celebrities in the city.

The proposal comes after city police vehicles and a helicopter were called in to escort Britney Spears to hospital on Thursday.

That escort cost city taxpayers $25,000, Zine said, but was necessary to protect the safety of Spears and other civilians who might have been threatened by paparazzi pursuing the pop singer.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened to Princess Diana with a celebrity in Los Angeles," Zine told The Los Angeles Times.

"We had to have 12 officers escort [Spears] to the hospital that, if not for paparazzi, would have been used to prevent crime somewhere else."

Zine put forward a motion at city council proposing a buffer zone big enough to let cars and people pass safely.

He did not say how large the "personal safety zone" should be, but said the city should consult the police and attorneys to try to determine what would be workable.

The motion noted how "aggressive" photographers have become in pursuing stars.

The Screen Actors Guild supported the idea, with deputy national executive director Pamm Fair saying guild members are growing concerned over the conduct of the tabloid press.

"I think there is a difference between taking a photo and getting in someone's face and ambushing them," Fair said.

"We fully support this effort, whatever we can do to create a safe environment for our members, their children and residents of this city."

Just how such a law would be enforced and whether there is anything that can calm the paparazzi is another question.

California has had an "anti-stalkerazzi" law on the books since 1998 that allows celebrities to sue anyone who invades their privacy to capture audio or video images.

And two years ago the state created a law that imposed increased liability penalties on photographers who impede celebrities or are responsible for car accidents.

However, the demand for candid shots is a multimillion-dollar business and U.S. photographers regularly hover outside the homes of celebrities such as Spears.

France has very strict anti-paparazzi legislation, and British celebrities have brought several cases against photographers and tell-all biographers before the courts under the U.K.'s new privacy protection legislation.