PETA and Monkey Finally Lose Copyright Suit

  • Thread starter BillTre
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In summary, the PETA and Monkey Copyright Suit was a legal battle over a selfie taken by a macaque monkey named Naruto. PETA argued that Naruto should hold the copyright since he took the photo, but the court ruled in favor of the photographer, stating that animals cannot hold copyrights under current US copyright law. This case sparked a larger conversation about animal rights and the need for clearer laws and guidelines regarding copyright ownership in the age of technology. There have also been other similar cases involving animals and copyright ownership, with the ruling consistently favoring the human copyright owner.
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BillTre
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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and a self photographing monkey lost their copyright infringement suit against a human person who put the picture in a book.
Its a quite cute picture.
The court said the monkey lacked standing because the law does not explicitly say animals could file suit.
CNN video here. https://www.cnn.com/videos/cnnmoney...t-ruling-es.cnn/video/playlists/cute-animals/
 
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Really need one of the pictures -- too funny. :smile:

https://regmedia.co.uk/2017/07/12/monkey-selfie-naruto.jpg?x=442&y=293&crop=1
monkey-selfie-naruto.jpg
 

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1. What was the PETA and Monkey Copyright Suit about?

The suit revolved around a famous selfie taken by a macaque monkey named Naruto in 2011. PETA argued that the copyright for the photo belonged to Naruto since he took the photo, while the photographer argued that he owned the copyright since he set up the camera.

2. Who won the copyright suit?

The court ruled in favor of the photographer, stating that animals cannot hold copyrights under current US copyright law. The judge also stated that Congress, not the courts, should determine if animals have the right to own copyrights.

3. What was PETA's argument in the copyright suit?

PETA argued that since the monkey took the photo, he should own the copyright and any profits made from the photo should go towards protecting and preserving Naruto's habitat and species.

4. What was the impact of this copyright suit?

This suit sparked a larger conversation about animal rights and the question of whether animals should be able to hold copyrights. It also shed light on the need for clearer laws and guidelines regarding copyright ownership in the age of technology and social media.

5. Has there been any similar cases to this copyright suit?

Yes, there have been other cases involving animals and copyright ownership, such as a case involving a monkey named "selfie monkey" and a case involving a dog and a copyright dispute over a video. Both of these cases also ruled in favor of the human copyright owner.

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