Why it’s illegal to photograph the Eiffel Tower at night – but not during the day
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of the most photographed monuments in the world.
What many people don’t realise, however, is it’s actually illegal to take pictures of the structure at night.
Even snapping a sneaky selfie with the illuminated tower in the background is technically breaking the law.
This is because the lighting is officially classified as a work of art and due to European Copyright Law remains under the domain of the late Pierre Bideau, the engineer who designed the current system, which was installed in 1985.
Copyright lasts for 70 years after a person’s death, and as Bideau only died in 2021, there’s a while yet before it expires.
According to La Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), the building’s operating company, anyone wanting to publish a photo of the tower at night should request permission, pay for rights, and then credit the artist appropriately. Otherwise, there’s risk of fines.
The law, however, is mainly aimed at commercial use, so it’s unlikely you’ll get in trouble for taking photos for personal use.
Speaking to Condé Nast Traveller, leisure and brand photographer Marc Nouss has previously said: ‘We are talking about a monument photographed thousands of times per day.
‘I still shoot it without mentioning anything, as everyone does. But I wouldn’t take the risk by selling one taken at night.’
Taking pictures of the tower during the day is totally fine as the man who designed the structure, Gustave Eiffel, died in 1923, more than 100 years ago, so no copyright remains.
And capturing the impressive view from the top of the tower is also OK, day or night. A message on the SETE website reads: ‘The views from the Eiffel Tower are rights-free.’
Eiffel Tower light show
The Eiffel Tower lighting system has light-sensitive twilight sensors, which causes the tower to light up within less than 10 minutes of dusk.
The timing varies depending on when the sun goes down, though the lights always switch off at 11.45pm. It used to be later, but was brought forward in 2022 as part of Paris’s energy saving efforts.
For the first five minutes of each hour, the tower’s 20,000 bulbs flash, creating a sparkling effect.
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