By I want to ask you, is a monkey entitled to its own selfie? No, says photographer David Slater. He set up the equipment and befriended the monkeys, so the picture is his. No, says the Wkimedia Foundation. No one can own the picture, and so it is public domain. No, says PETA. The monkey can have the copyright, but they should receive all the money.
Clearly, this is a complex question that requires years of legal battles. Or maybe it shouldn’t be, and we’re just really stupid.
Conde Nast will be showing us their take on the story, having purchased the life rights to David Slater, and will be producing a film based on his experiences at the center of this legal debate. I wonder whose side they’ll take? At least Slater was able to sell the rights to something.
Honestly, I want to say that the picture belongs to the monkey to do with as he sees fit, but he’s like a child star standing beside a horrible, manipulative parent right now with PETA. Case in point, the group decided to name the monkey Naruto. Who’s going to give a monkey a fair shake with a name as fraught as Naruto?
Poor guy never had a chance.
‘Monkey Selfie’ Film in the Works at Conde Nast (Exclusive) [THR]
