In terms of freedom of speech, it's guaranteed under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Austria is a signatory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Convention_on_Human_Rights (Details everything)

The EU and European Courts can enforce that law and override any member state's national legal system.

The only thing that usually causes problems is train spotters (enthusiasts) who may irritate various European railway companies staff. Railways are usually classified as private property and are subject to bylaws. So, they can prohibit photography quite easily.

It's understandable though as some of these train spotters do crazy things like wander into railway yards, try to take pictures of the interior of drivers cabs, will walk onto rolling stock that is not in service etc etc.. They can really create quite a problem. So, you'll find that while railways don't mind tourists and normal travellers taking photos, they can be rather tough when it comes to 'train spotter' types.

Same goes for a museum. They're within their rights to ask you not to take photographs. It's nothing to do with copyright, it's simply that they can have their own house rules in the same way as any private company can.

Another interesting one is that the European Commission is increasingly taking a very strong stance on the right to install satellite receiving equipment. Local planning permission regulations or regulations imposed by management companies may actually be in breech of European law if they restrict the erection of satellite dishes. It's considered an affront to the concept of freedom of movement of goods and services within the EU !
I suspect there will be some cases taken as there are plenty of housing developments restricting access to satellite dishes for aesthetic reasons, or because they're trying to push whatever service is pre-wired into the building / development.



Last edited by djk; 08/21/07 08:45 PM.