Monkey in selfie copyright battle

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A WILDLIFE photographer is taking legal action to reclaim the copyright on a selfie that a cheeky monkey took using his camera.

British photographer David Slater was on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi in 2011 to snap the crested black macaque when one of the animals made off with his camera.

Mr Slater recovered the camera to discover hundreds of “selfies”, including one of a grinning female macaque.

The image quickly spread around the world, appearing on websites, newspapers, magazines and television shows.

But Mr Slater now faces a legal battle with Wikimedia Commons, a copyright-free online collection of more than 22 million images and videos that can be used by anyone without paying royalties, London’s Telegraph reports.

A recent transparency report by the company detailing removal requests shows editors decided Mr Slater did not own the copyright because it was the monkey, not the man, who pushed the shutter.

34 thoughts on “Monkey in selfie copyright battle”

  1. Don’t people want to make money any more just by say, I don’t know maybe working for it instead of trying to trick others out of their money.

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    • I worked again today with the man whose next to next door neighbour’s son blew himself up. allah hu akbar, praise be unto muhammad – I couldn’t possibly say that more sarcastically.
      Here in Bar-b-cue loving she’ll be right mate Australia, we now export jihad to the whole world.
      So what did Muhammad and Jesus have in common?
      Jesus didn’t carry a black flag with his seal on it. He did say let the children come unto me.

      blood on multi cultic hands. This is all about the liberal left celebrating Arab Spring. Mark Steyn recently wrote the western world lost its confidence after the brutality of the Great War – which later became WWI. The heady glory Edwardian days just deflated and never came back.
      A generation embraced Darwin. God was pushed out of secular society and do gooders called all religions valid and equal but not to be confused with good governance. So I mock. When sudden destruction comes, don’t ask for whom the bell tolls. I mock.

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      • The reports of beheadings of children are yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Indonesia has banned support for the Islamic State of Iraq and ISIS as Australia looks to sharpen its laws against terrorist groups.
        Indonesia’s government announced that the teachings of ISIL, also known as ISIS, had been rejected and banned

        Indonesia’s government has also confirmed that Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir has pledged an oath of allegiance to ISIS from the high-security central Java jail where he is serving 15 years
        A photo of the oath, apparently held on July 18 in the jail’s prayer room, shows the radical cleric among a group of men, one of whom is holding an ISIS flag.
        Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin says the guards that allowed the pledge to take place would be punished, and prison security boosted to ensure such breaches don’t recur.

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      • “Reports of beheadings of children are yet to be confirmed”?

        Well have a look Bryan. That little headless body is no dummy:

        ISIS Caliphate Is “Systematically Beheading” Children In Iraq, “World Hasn’t Seen An Evil Like This”

        Qur’an Sura 8:12, 55, “… terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an … Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve [non-Muslims] …”

        Hadith, Sahih Muslim 4457, “The Messenger of Allah … used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless … you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.”

        WARNING—NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED—CONTENT IS HORRENDOUS, but seems genuine to me.

        http://www.catholic.org/news/international/middle_east/story.php?id=56481

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      • Please Take note phillipgeorge

        “As Christians, we have a duty to champion the truth. We should avoid spreading unsubstantiated claims and inflaming dread and panic by playing on people’s natural disgust of harm to children. ISIS is an organization that has committed heinous acts of violence and violated the human rights of many of our fellow believers. But we must not partake in the spreading of lies, even if it is against our enemies.”

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    • How does one “secure”[quote] against an ideology?

      Would any “modern” westerner go so far as to say, Christianity is better than Islam because Christianity is both true and Truth.

      The ISIS flag is simply the “seal of Muhammad” from what I can tell? Just their Prophet’s name, praise be unto him.
      They are going forth in the name of their prophet.

      Are you really prepared to tell them they have the wrong understanding of Muhammad’s sayings? Would you open the Quran to “correct” them about their reading of the text?

      The man sitting next to me Friday explained some of the family connections of the Aussie Jihadists. This story isn’t going away till Aussies make their stand for Jesus Christ, Only begotten Son of God.

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      • Ahhh so when our religious whackos overpower their religious whackos then peace will reign.

        It’s so obvious.

        Hey Bryan

        I believe in modern parlance the short reply to PhillipGeorge would be along the lines of I.C.B. – Bear it in mind and you might save yourself some time.

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      • When extremists are in conflict I think we should be aware that all may not be as it seems, that deceit, conspiracy, and dirty tricks can be expected.

        Of course we support and sympathise with those many who are innocent, on any side. But the perpetrators, the extremists, what can we do for them?

        Pray for them.

        Please.

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    • Thanks Mon,
      Bryan can’t see! What the bible calls “missing in action” – but it doesn’t use those exact words.
      God, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us

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      • Sorry, my mistake. This VICE doco about ISIS dated 7/8/2014 is worth watching:

        “The Spread of the Caliphate: The Islamic State (Part 1)

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      • The US is the one that funded these people, destabilized the regionof iraq invasion despite being told by security agencies it is not a good idea. Sigh when will get it in our thick heads that interfering with countries to get oil for multi national corps is stupid.

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    • Hi Monica

      If you look at this

      Qur’an Sura 8:12, 55, “… terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur’an … Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve [non-Muslims] …”

      It is actually God speaking to the Angels not humans. That bit is conveniently left out. God gets his angels sometimes to do some heavy stuff. eg Sodom.

      I could not find the vilest animal line in that surah. Do you expect God to like people who do not believe in him ? God make it clear what he hates in the OT.

      Hadith, Sahih Muslim 4457, “The Messenger of Allah … used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless … you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.”

      Again the bis that explain that put this into context is left out. This speaks of unless you know that the child will grow up to be evil, which no human is capable of, you do not kill any children.

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      • Actually the bit about those who believe in scriptures other than Quran and about vilest animal is a fabrication.Not a very truthful site you got this from.

        [Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.”

        nothing about vilest animals or believing in other scripture.

        The context of this verse is the battle of Badr where 300 Muslims lightly armed were in a battle to save their lives against a fully equipped army of 1000. God sent down the angels to help them.

        Even now in Palestine there are reports from Israelis who see men in white fighting but when they pass on what they see they are told no Palestinian wears white.

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      • Thanks Dom,

        I was hoping you would shed some light on those Qur’an Sura quotes, as they shocked me.

        Can I ask you a question?

        Why do Australian Muslim men hate Australian women?

        You know I am no spring chicken, dress modestly (have done for decades) and as far as I know, am not disfigured or repulsive to look at, but every Muslim male I have ever had anything to do with in public, has treated me like I am an intolerable stench in his nostrils. Two of them have actually tried to beat me up because I didn’t let them merge in front of me in traffic, but thankfully God intervened. Another, with wife and children, got so mad with my husband because he took his parking spot (we didn’t see him waiting), that we instantly gave him the spot so as to avoid bloodshed! He terrorised his wife and kids he was in such a murderous rage. All he had to do was calmly let us know it was his spot. I mean, what threat could two white-haired oldies possibly be to him?

        Truly Dom, Aussie Muslim men hate Aussie women. That I am positive of!

        I knew a young woman who worked at the local Casino. She was not to look a Muslim man/sheik directly in the eyes when serving him. She had to bow her head—and this is in Australia we are talking about.

        If this is the typical face of multiculturalism, then you can shove it!

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      • “Truly Dom, Aussie Muslim men hate Aussie women. That I am positive of!”

        I curious as to how you know this – what kind of surveys or polling have you conducted. Or have you just taken a few limited examples from your own experience and decided that they apply to ALL Muslims.

        I guess all Christians abuse little children too right ??

        All Italian men expect the women to stay in the kitchen and cook and clean and keep quiet. I’ve known a couple of immigrants in Mareeba with that attitude and so it must be the whole race that think like that right?

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      • Hi Monica

        Some Muslims come from a country that has been war torn. They tend to be a bit more aggressive,.They may have some mental scars we do not know about. My Bosnian friend spent his childhood running from bombs and snipers. He has trouble sleeping at night.

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      • No Bubba,

        No polling or surveys, just came to this conclusion from my own personal experience. And limited as that may be, it is none-the-less valid for my life experience here in the land of my birth. I know contempt when I see it.

        But don’t take my word for it; google it, read books, blogs, the news (Lebanese Muslim Gangs raping Aussie women), or just ask other women if they have had similar experiences to mine. I came across this book on the net yesterday and must buy a copy:

        http://books.google.com.au/books/about/A_God_Who_Hates.html?id=NNKXiso0jB8C&redir_esc=y

        I’ve just now come across this, “Tell the believing men to LOWER THE GAZE and BE MODEST. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is aware of what they do.” Surah An Noor – Verse no -30 That could explain a lot; the way they react to me as a female. Perhaps I am mistaking that for contempt. And I like what Yusuf says in his article titled ‘Raped by a Muslim’ on ‘Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.’

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      • Thanks Dom,

        Yes, you are right. Again, I know this from personal experience. I worked for many years in Bankstown. I’ll say no more.

        Love you Dom….and I trust you.

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      • You’re a Maltese/Aussie Monica, so that makes you a Mozzie. Maybe they’re trying to swat you.

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      • Hahahaha Kathleen,

        Never heard that one before. Love it! 😆

        How’s your knitting going?

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      • Hi Monica,

        Yeah and there’s nothing in the bible that would suggest a woman should be subservient to a man right?

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  2. Well generally copyright goes to whoever created the work so if the monkey created the work then it owns the copyright.

    But then how does Wikimedia Commons plan to compensate the monkey for use of it’s work ?

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