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A BIZARRE TWO-YEAR court battle over who owns the copyright of a “monkey selfie” which went viral was finally settled yesterday – in favour of a British nature photographer.
A black macaque with a goofy grin snapped itself in Indonesia while staring down the lens of a camera belonging to David Slater in 2011.
After Slater published the pictures in a book, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco in 2015 seeking to have the monkey “declared the author and owner of his photograph”.
Peta said the selfies were taken by a six-year-old called Naruto on the island of Sulawesi, although even the identity of the monkey was the subject of legal wranglings.
In filing the lawsuit, Peta argued that “US copyright law doesn’t prohibit an animal from owning a copyright, and since Naruto took the photo, he owns the copyright, as any human would”.
Slater insisted that he owned the rights since he set up the tripod and walked away for a few minutes, only to find out that the monkey had grabbed his camera and snapped away.
Following the settlement, Peta wrote on their blog: “As a part of the arrangement, Slater agreed to donate 25% of any future revenue derived from using or selling the monkey selfies to charities that protect the habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia.”
It added: “Naruto and the famous ‘monkey selfie’ photographs that he undeniably took clearly demonstrate that he and his fellow macaques … are highly intelligent, thinking, sophisticated beings worthy of having legal ownership of their own intellectual property and holding other rights as members of the legal community.”
A joint statement read: “Peta and David Slater agree that this case raises important, cutting-edge issues about expanding legal rights for nonhuman animals, a goal that they both support, and they will continue their respective work to achieve this goal.”
When the copyright controversy erupted, Slater said that the widespread distribution of the photos online had cost him a lot of money by robbing his book of potential sales – so it’s unclear how much money the habitat charities will clear in the deal.
Slater’s company Wildlife Personalities, and the self-publishing platform Blurb were co-defendants in the case.
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They are going to miss the Ireland game.
By jeepers I won’t be missing the Ireland game even though I experienced the power going off in Lusaka last night. The hotel has a generator thankfully. Come on Ireland!
No. 20 up there isn’t very good at football by the looks of things.
@Niall ah Now he’s about to back heel it!
Is there anything to be said for having another mass.
Ah the old Father Ted reference. You’re very original and gas fun altogether.
You’re great crack altogether Gerard.
So original & fresh, Shaun. Nobody saw that one coming. Imagine being really predictable…
the old ostrich manoeuvre
I’d say shutting the entire economy down for 24 hours to talk to the tooth fairy will definitely work …. Why didn’t we try that back in 09 !!
Judging by some of the results we may as well have done that.
Is there anything to be said for saying another mass ted
Bring Obama over to say ‘Yes we can’ and that will sort the whole thing out.
They should get coddler whatshisface involved, he can sort this with a few strokes on the keyboard.
Still in bed I reckon, he’ll be along later with crtl c and v though!
Still in bed stroking his keyboard
It’ll be pretty straightforward:
FIAT currency
Stroke of a keyboard
Macro economic level
Neo liberal jackboot
You forgot “class warfare”.
Have they hired the guy on here that copies and pastes the essay how we can print unlimited money as chef economic advisor?
And when all else fails… Prayer
Someone should call Coddler for the solution., Surely they can just give everyone more money?
A nation holds its breath, they’re fu(ked.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster will sort out all their problems. He really exists. Really and twuly.
Silly buggers!
Should this idiot be running their country? Well it’s not like we can talk!
Wally will be along to tell us if you print more money all your problems go away :D
Ahh No…Not more economic migrants on their way to Europe!
Sure, all they have to do is introduce the universal social charge, it’ll be grand then.
Great follow through with the strike by that soccer player. Pity he never kicked the ball though
Back in the 1980′s I spent some time in Zambia, it’s a beautiful country with a stable, democratic political system & it’s people are very kind, generous & well educated.
It’s an African country that we should be supporting & encouraging as it has enormous potential. I hope that their economy & currency recovers and that they enjoy better times in the future.
funny and frightening that they think this will solve their problems! !!
You couldn’t ask them to pray for Ireland against the Argies if they’ve time?
You can’t beat a bit of divine intervention on a Sunday morning! #coybig
That is going to fix everything..clearly a sound economic recovery plan!!! Wow another idiotic government lol
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