procedural guides

Copyright Issues in the Jungle – Monkey Selfie Case Not a District Court Issue

It’s a jungle out there – only in the latest copyright infringement lawsuit to make the headlines, the animal did not win.  In 2011, after wildlife photographer David Slater allowed a monkey, specifically a macaque, to use his camera which resulted in the notorious “monkey selfie,” PETA filed a suit citing the pictures were not the property of Slater but rather that the monkey owned the rights to the famous picture.

A simple case? Not at all – it was not until January 7, 2016 that U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued a tentative opinion to put the case to rest citing that he saw no indication that the Copyright Act extends to animals. “I’m not the person to weigh into this. This is an issue for Congress and the president,” Orrick said from the bench, according to Ars Technica. “If they think animals should have the right of copyright they’re free, I think, under the Constitution, to do that.”

If you think we are just monkeying around – you can take a look at the actual compliant.

Copyright infringement issues are complex and a series of legal procedures must be followed precisely to respond to a complaint with a court compliant answer.

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