

Wikimedia Refuses to Take Down Monkey Selfie - AshFurrow
http://petapixel.com/2014/08/06/wikimedia-stands-monkey-photographers-rights-refuses-take-monkey-selfie/

======
FireBeyond
There's the largely undiscussed issue that WMF has a large bias in defending
the "information wants to be free" angle, not to mention the hits they get
from hosting what is an extremely popular image.

However, the photographer isn't his best defender - he goes on about the
expense of the camera and lenses "he used for his trip" \- when in reality, as
a professional photographer, it's highly unlikely he purchased those tools to
create this specific image (because of course he didn't have that intention),
and it's disingenuous to act like he's out the cost of the photography
equipment by not being able to claim royalties on this one image.

------
drivingmenuts
Can a monkey, which normally has no rights under the law, hold copyright
without it being assigned by someone who does have rights under law?

I would argue NO, from a common sense standpoint, but the law isn't really
about common sense.

~~~
jdechko
Reading the article and others, Wikipedia is not saying that the monkey owns
the copyright, but that the photographer does not own the copyright. They are
saying that under the circumstances in which the photo was taken, the image
falls under public domain.

------
chrisbennet
By that reasoning, if the photographer had "set up the shot" for a murder
machine instead of a camera, the monkey who inadvertently pressed the button
would be the murderer (or suicide victim if it was a "selfie").

~~~
lazzlazzlazz
That's not quite right - he left the camera out by accident. The monkey's
taking photos was not his intention.

If he had accidentally constructed a situation where the monkey's pressing a
button killed someone, we would consider it some kind of negligence or
manslaughter (a much weaker claim) on his part, and the monkey would probably
not be blamed.

You're also assuming that the ability to be held liable for murder and the
ability to hold copyright are satisfied by the same criteria.

~~~
chrisbennet
“I’ve told them it’s not public domain, they’ve got no right to say that it’s
public domain. A monkey pressed the button, but I did all the setting up.”

