It was supposed to be a harmless selfie highlighting an endangered black macaque, but that\u2019s not what was discussed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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The question of whether animals can own the copyrights to their selfies is now back in the spotlight, attracting crowds of law students and curious citizens.<\/p>\n
Naruto, the free-living macaque that took selfies using photographer<\/a> David Slater\u2019s camera during Slater\u2019s trip to Indonesia, was the star of the 45-minute hearing. PETA sued Slater, arguing that the monkey owned the copyright to the photos. The macaque is totally unaware of the fuss.<\/p>\n If a monkey can own the copyright to a selfie, what else can it do?<\/p>\n Angela Dunning, the attorney representing Mr Slater, told the court PETA was \u201cnot even sure they have the right monkey,\u201d referring to Naruto. \u201cIt is absurd to say a monkey can sue for copyright infringement. Naruto can\u2019t benefit financially from his work. He is a monkey.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though many were shocked by the idea that a monkey could be entitled to own a copyright, Slater said he is \u201cabsolutely delighted.\u201d He looked at the bright side of the case and said it would highlight the monkeys\u2019 plight and bring the world\u2019s attention to them.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one had heard of these monkeys six years ago. They were down to the last thousands,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Stay tuned for more fun cartoons!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Follow eXo Platform’s board Cartoon of the Week on Pinterest.<\/a>