Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals filed a lawsuit in San Francisco seeking to give a monkey ownership of
its selfie photo. The group filed a U.S. federal court lawsuit in San Francisco
arguing Naruto, a macaque monkey known to researchers in Indonesia, should be
the legal owner of pictures he snapped in 2011 using a camera set up by
photographer David J. Slater.
The lawsuit names Slater; his company, Wildlife
Personalities Ltd.; and publisher Blurb, which issued a collection of Slater’s
photographs that included two of the selfies snapped by Naruto.
Personalities Ltd.; and publisher Blurb, which issued a collection of Slater’s
photographs that included two of the selfies snapped by Naruto.
The suit is seeking to have the monkey declared the
“author” and legal owner of the photograph.
“author” and legal owner of the photograph.
The picture has been in dispute for more than a year.
Website Wikimedia Commons posted some of the pictures snapped by the monkey
last year, labeling them public domain, and Slater attempted to have them
removed, claiming the copyright he obtained in Britain should be applied
globally.
Website Wikimedia Commons posted some of the pictures snapped by the monkey
last year, labeling them public domain, and Slater attempted to have them
removed, claiming the copyright he obtained in Britain should be applied
globally.
“I’ve told them it’s not public domain, they’ve got no
right to say that it’s public domain. A monkey pressed the button, but I did
all the setting up,” he said.
right to say that it’s public domain. A monkey pressed the button, but I did
all the setting up,” he said.
Wikimedia refused to remove the pictures, saying Slater
doesn’t own the copyright on the image because he didn’t shoot the photo
himself.
doesn’t own the copyright on the image because he didn’t shoot the photo
himself.
“Our argument is simple: U.S. 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,” PETA said in a press release.
prohibit an animal from owning a copyright, and since Naruto took the photo, he
owns the copyright, as any human would,” PETA said in a press release.
PETA is asking the court to allow the group to use the
proceeds from the “monkey selfie” to benefit Naruto and other
macaques in the region.
proceeds from the “monkey selfie” to benefit Naruto and other
macaques in the region.
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