No one owns the copyright to the images because they were taken by an animal - Do you agree?

Question

David Slater is a British nature photographer. During his trip to Indonesia, a monkey grabbed his camera and captured pictures of himself. Later the pictures become popular and used by several websites including 'Wikipedia', which contend that no one owns the copyright to the images because they were taken by an animal, not a person.

The lawsuit filed last year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sought a court order allowing PETA to represent the monkey and let it administer all proceeds from the photos for the benefit of the monkey, which it identified as 6-year-old Naruto, and other crested macaques living in a reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

On 6th Jan 2016, the federal judge said "A macaque monkey who took now-famous selfie photographs cannot be declared the copyright owner of the photos"

Do you think David Slater owns the copyright or the macaque monkey?

• 7 votes
• Read all opinions

	David Slater owns the copyright	5 votes, 71%
	The Macaque Monkey owns the copyright	0 votes
	Other	2 votes, 29%

Answer 1

I think Slater should own the copyright. It was his camera that an unauthorized mammal used.

Answer 2

Just love animals, so don't care..

Answer 3

The copyrights are owned by who ever copyrights them.

Answer 4

In my opinion, he does because it was the man's camera that the photographs were taken from.

Answer 5

PETA is absolutely insane

Comments

PETA  saw and took an opportunity , to make a great deal of money for a cause they are Passionate about , they are not insane , just dedicated to these Creatures and their Survival.

Answer 6

It was after all David Slater's Camera. 

I find it so amusing that we imitate Creatures and they in turn imitate us , this Truly is the ultimate pic of the Selfie era.

PETA  did what they do best , saw a chance and took it , to make a lot of money for a very worthy cause and the Survival of these Wonderful Creatures.

Answer 7

David Slater owns the copyright because he is a professional photographer (artist) who has employed a monkey as the subject of a 'performance art' piece called...

      "a monkey takes a self portrait with a camera taken from the photographer."

               It was David that made it all happen.