# Exterior cathedral photo/art: Is license/permission needed for use as book cover?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** arts-crafts\
**Created:** [July 3, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621 "2021-07-03T18:50:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621/1 "2021-07-03T18:50:35Z")

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I know Notre Dame requires it. Does anyone know if the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela require permission or a licensing fee to use on a book cover:

- a distant, exterior photo (of the spires, no detail but shape visible)
- with no sculptural elements visible)

What if the image is a painting or digital artistic rendering that started as a photo but has been altered significantly using a digital “artistic effects” program? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621/2 "2021-07-03T18:54:47Z")

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I’m confused as to how ND could legally require it. The copyright on the structure and the art it displays as surely lapsed by now. I’m assuming this is one of those ‘the law is different in Europe’ things. Is it a Moral Authority Is Asserted thing?

Here in Phily, due to changes in the rules based on advances in technology, I am allowed to take photographs of any public domain work in the art museum and do with them as I please.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621/3 "2021-07-03T19:00:59Z")

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I don’t know, but I’ve read over and over that some structures, such as Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower at night, require a permit or license.

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621/4 "2021-07-05T17:00:50Z")

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The night time art display on the Eiffel Tower (the flashing lights) is protected by copyright. So you can photograph it, but not use it for publicity. I’m not aware of anything similar for Notre Dame.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-cathedral-photo-art-is-license-permission-needed-for-use-as-book-cover/945621/5 "2021-07-05T22:01:41Z")

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I don’t know post-fire, but ND is used as an example of this principle in the write-ups I’ve read. In good news (for me), I’ve altered my photo to an extent that it’s clearly art rather than documentation.