NOAA Requires License For Photos of the Earth 311
Teancum writes "In an interesting show of the level of regulations private spacecraft designers have to go through, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has demanded that American participants of the Google Lunar X Prize obtain a license if their spacecraft are 'capable of actively or passively sensing the Earth's surface, including
bodies of water, from space by making use of the properties of the electromagnetic waves emitted, reflected, or diffracted by the sensed objects.' What prompted NOAA to ask for this license came from a visit by the XPrize staff to the NOAA offices in Maryland. What is going to happen when 'space tourists' bring their private cameras along for the ride?"
Wow (Score:5, Interesting)
Um, Wow i didnt think you could copyright THE EARTH.. What next? The Moon!
Definition of 'land remote sensing' (Score:4, Interesting)
So, at what distance from the earth's surface... (Score:1, Interesting)
...do I need a license?
Obviously, when I'm standing on the ground and take a photo of the ground, I don't need a license. Neither do I need it from a mountain top. Probably not from an airplane or a weather balloon.
So, at what distance does this kick in and can anyone cite the applicable law and regulation?
Re:This is actually for real (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Naming rights (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Notice from NOAA to Lunar X Prize Participants (Score:5, Interesting)
Here is a link to the act itself:
http://geo.arc.nasa.gov/sge/landsat/15USCch82.html [nasa.gov]
It looks like the purpose is to protect the commercial interests of private space companies. If all the sudden people are launching rockets and giving away the data for free, that hurts space commerce. The goal here, again, is commercial. They want to create a commercial space enterprise. So while that sector is growing Uncle Sam is going to protect it.
Because they have a policy of being "nondiscriminatory" they have to either charge everyone, or charge no one.
However, one could argue that if your goal is non-commercial this wouldn't apply to you.
This policy probably had good intentions, but is now very out of date.
Re:Lose the tinfoils hats... (Score:3, Interesting)
The law isn't stupid, it's just broader than anyone realized at the time Stupidity would be actually prosecuting anyone for taking a few snapshots out the spacecraft window without a license.
I think they realized exactly what they were doing..
DMCA anyone?
a quote from the post above yours.
This law, in particular, is a piece of a strategy that didn't work in the early 90s, thanks in large part to career people at NOAA. They got this law passed, but they [private services like accu-weather] weren't able to shut down the ftp servers.
Prior Art! (Score:2, Interesting)
Apollo 8 Earthrise Dec 1968
From Gooogle Images [google.com]
And the first TV photo of Earth [nasa.gov] from TIROS 1 on 1 April 1960.
(April Fools Day- how apropos)
Re:Notice from NOAA to Lunar X Prize Participants (Score:1, Interesting)
What business do governments have in interfering with private individuals taking pictures from space or anywhere else for that matter. NOAA does not own the earth, and is in no position to decide which 'big wealthy hoggish' business it is going to make a winner of simply by denying ordinary people their civil rights. Suppose one gets on an AeroFlot plane on an international flight that takes off from Chicago and takes pictures all the way to NYC. Who has the ownership and copyright for Cleveland, Howard the Duck? Doubt the freedom loving Russian stewardesses will object.
Re:Notice from NOAA to Lunar X Prize Participants (Score:2, Interesting)
Well then, looks like the winner of the Lunar X Prize won't launch in the US, and probably won't start a business here either.
It looks like we will move to Canada. Between things like this and the other ITARds, there's just no reason to do it in the US. I hope the Canadian law isn't as bad as US law.
Note to the other teams though, you will need to follow the law (of all team member jurisdictions.) or you can not win the GLXP money, which is part of why we will not become a GLXP team. We are doing this on our own, in the open. www.openluna.org
Yes, we are just starting, and could use some help in the art/web department.
Re:Absurd! (Score:2, Interesting)
Hmmmm. I guess private organizations will just go launch, and develop, from other, hungrier countries that aren't so into lording over their own people.
Re:NOAA is the good guys (Score:3, Interesting)
I sometimes look at wunderground for wx here in Toronto, but that telnet server only works for the states. Too bad.
The wunderground telnet service parses most major airports. Check the city codes for your state. Chances are, there's one close to you. The great thing about the airport forecasts is they are good enough for pilots and choosing gear for riding motorcycles. The local television news seems like a political wordsmith case compared to the NOAA forecasts.
Re:In the Soviet States of America...... (Score:3, Interesting)