Selfie ban: sticks and other legal problems

Taking selfies is a trend that hasn't stopped for years. But bans on selfie sticks and other legal problems have been making headlines for some time. We clarify what the legal situation around the trendy self-portraits looks like.

Selfie sticks are increasingly banned

From the Museum of Modern Arts in New York to the Europa Park to Versailles Palace: Selfie sticks are undesirable or even prohibited in more and more places.

• In the Europark, the main fear is that the long poles in the roller coasters could be dangerous.
• MoMa New York is afraid of damage to the exhibits. Visitors are therefore not allowed to take their selfie sticks into the building.
• There is also a ban at Wimbledon Stadium - even violent use of the sticks is feared here.
• So inquire exactly whether selfie sticks are allowed in a certain location.

Selfie vebot in front of the Reichstag?

There is still no ban on selfie sticks at the Berlin Reichstag, but there has been serious discussion about it. If it were up to the EU Parliament, one should no longer take a selfie in front of the Reichstag in future.

• A Reichstag photo would not be allowed without digitally pixelating the dome. This is due to the copyright protection of the building.
• In principle, this applies to every building, unless the architect or artist died more than 70 years ago.
• Since the dome architect Sir James Sterling died in 1992, a photo of the dome is not critical until 2062.
• Nevertheless, there is still no ban on selfies: thanks to the so-called panorama freedom, it is still possible to take pictures of protected buildings and upload them to social networks.

No selfie at the nightly Eiffel Tower

However, you should note that the freedom of panorama does not apply in every country. Problems can arise in Paris, for example:

• A selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower is not permitted and is punishable if the tower's night lighting is switched on. However, you only have to fear consequences if you use the image commercially.
• In France, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy and Greece there is generally no freedom of panorama.
• The SABAM company, which represents the rights of the Atomium in Brussels, has been hunting for images on the Internet for years, for example, and then cashing in.
• The protection of images on the Internet always refers to the state for which protection is sought (protection country principle).

You don't have to let the fun of selfies spoil you. We show the top five apps that will make your self-portraits even better.