Monkey Selfie | God's World News

Monkey Selfie

08/29/2017
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    The contested “selfie” of Naruto the monkey, who used wildlife photographer David Slater’s camera to take this picture (AP)
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    Attorney Andrew Dhuey represents David Slater (right), the wildlife photographer who set up a camera for monkeys to take selfies. (AP)
  • 1 Monkey Selfie
  • 2 Monkey Selfie
  • 1 Monkey Selfie
  • 2 Monkey Selfie
  • 1 Monkey Selfie
  • 2 Monkey Selfie

Can animals hold copyright? That’s the question before a U.S. federal appeals court. The curious proceedings involve a seemingly precocious monkey with a toothy grin and possible photography skills. Now a three-judge panel must decide the Case of the Selfie-Snapping Primate.

David Slater is a British nature photographer. In 2011, he visited a wildlife reserve in Indonesia. He hoped to document the plight of the crested macaque (muh-KAHK), an endangered genus of monkey. On the trip, he made numerous forays into the humid jungle looking for the highly social macaques.

Slater wanted pictures of himself with the playful monkeys. Sometimes he set his camera on a log or a tripod, hoping for some close-ups. After several days, Slater began to gain the monkeys’ trust. They ventured out to fiddle with his camera. Click. Click. Click.

Slater says the macaques “grinned, grimaced, and bared teeth at themselves in the reflection of the large glass lens.”  They were having more fun than a barrel of monkeys. One snapped several shots of itself. Many are blurry, but a few seem eerily portrait-like.

Slater was thrilled for the macaques to monkey with his camera. . . until he published the photos. His book Wildlife Personalities included the monkey selfies. That’s when the legal monkey business started.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) thought the monkey deserved crediting for pushing the buttons and smiling. PETA officials granted themselves permission to name the grinning monkey: Naruto, after a ninja in a Japanese manga series.

PETA attorney David Schwarz argued that “Naruto” took the selfies intentionally upon seeing himself in the reflection of the lens. That, he says, gives the macaque the rights to his image. PETA sued Slater and self-publishing company Blurb for copyright infringement.

Slater claims he got a British copyright for the photos. He believes that copyright should hold up in U.S. court.

A U.S. federal judge ruled against PETA last year. The judge said the primate didn’t have the right to sue. He reasoned there’s no sign that Congress meant to give copyright protection to animals. PETA appealed.

Throughout the hearing, Schwarz argued that the case came down to one simple fact: Photos can be copyrighted, and “Naruto” is the owner. (“Naruto” did not testify regarding whether he desires ownership.)

Andrew Dhuey is Slater’s attorney. He calls PETA’s legal antics a publicity stunt.

Plus, he says, “Monkey see, monkey sue” simply isn’t good law.