monkey see… monkey do

Photographer Still Trying To Claim Ownership Of Monkey Selfie

Photographer Still Trying To Claim Ownership Of Monkey Selfie

By 12.15.14

Even though the U.S. Copyright Office has explicitly stated that one can not register a copyright for “A photograph taken by a monkey,” the photographer whose camera was used by a monkey for a now-famous self-portrait is still trying to claim that he is the owner of the photograph and demanding that a website purchase a license to run the image. [More]

The monkey seen in this image is actually the one who pressed the button on the camera. Copyright law forbids a non-human animal from holding a copyright, so many believe the image is in the public domain. PETA claimed that monkeys like Naruto should be treated no differently than if a human had snapped the picture. A federal judge disagrees.

U.S. Copyright Office Agrees: Monkey Self-Portraits Are Public Domain

By 8.21.14

In news that will disappoint monkey photographers nationwide, a draft report from the U.S. Copyright Office seems to make the regulators’ opinion pretty clear on the question of who holds the copyright for a photo — or any work — created by an animal. [More]