Tourist Beware
Unbeknownst to most tourists, pictures of the Eiffel Tower taken at night are protected by copyright. The lightshow performed at night is protected by copyright and sharing these photos online may be copyright infringement. However, pictures taken of the Eiffel Tower during the day are not protected. The practice of copyright protection for buildings occurs throughout Europe. For example, no one can publish photos of public buildings in Belgium without asking permission first, explained the EU Observer. Most people would not assume that these buildings are protected and innocently uploaded Facebook pictures could subject the uneducated tourist to copyright infringement.