French law requires that judges in condemnation hearings physically see the property in question.
The judge assigned to the case was unable to enter the narrow tunnel to the cave and ordered that the entrance be widened. A larger entrance will allow researchers to move in equipment to monitor the cave's climate, a necessary step before a new entrance is dug that will allow greater access for scientists. According to the Paris newspaper Le Figaro, Chauvet has complained that he realized no profit from the sale of the video. He has offered more than 200 of his photographs of the cave for sale through Sygma, an international photo agency. As evidence, the ministry produced a letter from a regional cultural affairs director granting Chauvet permission to explore the area.