I read of Chicago's Millenium Park when it opened and thought I'd like to visit. But New(Sub)urbanism says the park is "Chicago's most privatized public space" and points to the story of a photographer stopped from snapping pictures because he didn't have a permit.
A reporter looking into the incident was told: "The copyrights for the enhancements in Millennium Park are owned by the artist who created them. As such, anyone reproducing the works, especially for commercial purposes, needs the permission of that artist." Not a selling point.
UPDATE: a follow-up post clarifies, "The real reason for the city's shakedown is that the city has exclusive licensing rights for selling images of Millennium Park."
Apparently, the city does not want to endure competition from entrepreneurs who may go and photograph Millennium Park enhancements and place the images on postcards, t-shirts, etc... Some use of public space, huh?
