The London skyline showing buildings that are protected by copyright and which would would have required permissions to be granted if the proposal had became law. © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0 

A vast majority of MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) have voted to remove wording from a current copyright reform proposal that could have caused a lot of trouble for photographers. As it was previously worded, the proposal would have required photographers creating or using images which featured buildings or public artwork under copyright to obtain permission to do so.

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Some parts of the European Union maintain a 'Freedom of Panorama' law that allows photography of copyrighted buildings and permanent structures for any use, including commercial. Other countries require permission to use these images. The proposal in question would have extended those restrictions across all European Union countries. 

It was feared that if the proposal passed in its original form, photos of copyrighted structures taken by members of the public and posted to websites that carry advertising, such as Facebook and Twitter, could be subject to copyright infringement. According to Amateur Photographer, 711 out of 751 MEPs voted to remove the offending wording.