LOS ANGELES, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law toughening penalties for photographers who aggressively pursue shots of celebrities in California.
Under the bill signed Friday, anyone who commits an assault to photograph or record a person can be sued and forced to forfeit all profit made from the incident, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The law takes effect in January.
Two actors who recently had run-ins with overzealous paparazzi, Scarlett Johansson and Reese Witherspoon, signed on to a letter telling the governor "extreme tactics" used by some photographers "result in intimidating situations and frightening accidents," the Screen Actors Guild said in a news release.
Newly elected SAG President Alan Rosenberg called the signing "a victory for Guild members who have been terrorized by unprofessional paparazzi."
