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Monkey Selfies
In 2011, photographer David Slater was capturing macaques in the jungles of Indonesia when one curious monkey that later came to be known as Naruto took one of Slater’s cameras and used it to snap a selfie. Slater later published the delightful images in a book, which caught the attention of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The organization sued Slater on behalf of Naruto, claiming the monkey owned the copyright for any selfies it had taken.
The lawsuit was formally filed in 2015 based on arguments over whether copyright acts extend to non-human animals. After two years of litigation, PETA and Slater settled out of court, with the latter agreeing to donate 25% of his future book revenue to Indonesian charities that protect macaque habitats.
Though PETA was content with the settlement, it’s likely the case wouldn’t have been won in court, as the U.S. Copyright Office specifically states that “a photograph taken by a monkey” cannot be copyrighted.
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Monkey Selfies
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