Filming license plates

S

Sappa

I have searched the forum, but could not find my question so sorry if this is a frequently asked question.
Is it Legal to film license plates?
My film involves allot of running around within the downtown area and it would be hard for me to try and hide every single vehicles plate number. So is it legal to film the plate # if not intentionally, and if not are there any good tips to hide them.
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Do not film licence plates...

If you need to film a licence for a character in your movie...change it in some creative way...white a letter or number out...add a few letters or numbers...or have a talented SFX artist manipulate it in post.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You may have to angle your shots as best as you can to keep plates out of shots. I don't know your budget or how much "control" you have over the areas you are shooting, but you may have to do some blurring if plates are getting in your way.

HOWEVER, having said that (and I lay this to the legal beagles here), if this is filmed in a public place, does this not fall under the "no need for permissions" category-or is it because of the identifiable nature of plates they're exempt from that?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Tinalera said:
HOWEVER, having said that (and I lay this to the legal beagles here), if this is filmed in a public place, does this not fall under the "no need for permissions" category-or is it because of the identifiable nature of plates they're exempt from that?
Click to expand...

That's a good question.

I do know you can not film licence plates. It's along the same lines as the 555 phone numbers.

Although i know this is the case, i never thought about it in terms of the whole public place issue. Anyone want to chime in?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
From watching various tv shows, licence plates are always blurred out. Since these are shows aired on national tv, I have to take the assumtion that it is NOT okay to film them. I don't know really why, because there they are in the street but who knows...lawsuits maybe?

As for the 555 number...do you guys remember the classic 867 5309? Jenny's number? Those dudes got in trouble for that song because people complained that music fans all over where actually calling that number looking for Jenny...in whatever area code they lived in. The song was never changed because it became so popular and then classic. So don't use real phone numbers. Even the Brady Bunch used a 555 exchange.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
They didn't really get in trouble for that.. urban legend. .Interesting there is litigation, but its around business that WANTED to cash in on the instantly remembered phone number and are still fighting over who gets to use it.. lol
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
It might be more along the lines of copyright infringement, after all a license plate certainly is a "recognizable" symbol of the issuing state, and as far as it goes, the state OWNS the license plate, not the car driver. So, maybe the plate number isn't the issue, rather its use of copyright material that you don't have rights too.

I doubt there has ever been a trial, seems far use laws would apply to any accidental use of license plate in film. That doesn't mean there haven't been law suites, likely such a case would just settle out of court, and hence the law has never had to be clarified on the issue.

If your making a movie, and you don't blur the plate, I doubt anyone would care, until you had something worth looting!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
wheatgrinder said:
If your making a movie, and you don't blur the plate, I doubt anyone would care, until you had something worth looting!
Click to expand...

exactly

Although I doubt anyone could receive a cash settlement on that basis. More likely you'd receive a cease and desist letter from an attorney, in which case you'd incur the headache and expense of going back in and blurring it out.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
I think the blurring of license plates is meant to protect the identity of the car owner/driver. Imagine you shoot something and a car goes by slowly enough to read the plates - some nut job sees your movie and says, "Hey that was the prom queen who dissed me in high school!" or "What a babe, gotta have me some of that!" and tracks her down through her license plate. Bad news.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top