![]() Just don't go pointing fingers if you get busted. Professionals, on the other hand, have a different set of circumstances. Your killer #EiffelTower Instagram is probably safe. A photograph or video depicting the Eiffel Tower at night is also a violation of the law because the lights were installed in 1985, which means that any photograph or video shows the monument during the night (and thus violates the copyright law). Apparently, no one has ever been taken to court over their images of the Tower or the light show at night. Having a copyright is a whole lot different from enforcing said copyright. What would happen if you did snap a photo? Well, you didn't hear it from us, but probably nothing. But certainly not every tourist is aware of this obscure, urban-legend-sounding law. If there were a way to photograph the Tower at night without the lighting, you'd be golden. The Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel considers the illumination to be an artistic work that is separate from the tower itself. This EU directive is optional, however, and France opted out of including it in their national laws. ![]() Thus, taking pictures of public buildings is permissible, and those photographs can be published or distributed without prior permission in most European countries. As reported by, the EU's 2001 Copyright Directive, Article 5, dictates that photographs of architectural works in public spaces can be taken free of charge. Therefore, nighttime photos of the Tower are a violation of the artist's copyright under French law. The building's light show, which was added in 1985, is technically owned by the light-show artist. Well, technically the Tower itself, constructed in 1889, is always rights-free. Permission and rights must be obtained from the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel for the publication of photographs of the illuminated Eiffel Tower." So, daytime Tower is in the public domain, but nighttime Tower is not. Check out even more mind-blowing facts about the Eiffel Tower. The website for the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (the company that owns and operates the tower) says, "The views from the Eiffel Tower are rights-free. Snopes, the online fact-checking site, confirmed that sharing photographs of the Eiffel Tower at night is actually illegal. If you're visiting France, make sure to grab your Eiffel Tower selfie before sunset. More than just some cultural faux pas, the act is illegal. But it's weirdly a no-no to snap a photo of the famous structure while it's illuminated at night. It's a no-brainer to swing by the Eiffel Tower during a Parisian vacation.
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