Poll: That Monkey Selfie

Bundle in the jungle

  • Copyright of Monkey

    Votes: 110 31.6%

  • Copyright of Dave

    Votes: 139 39.9%

  • Don't give a monkey's

    Votes: 99 28.4%
  • Total voters
    348
MooMoo444 said:
Why is the copyright such an issue? Does this one picture really have that much $$$$$ potential?
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yup... in theory. If its being used all around the world by different papers, media outlets then it really ought to have netted him a decent sum - each publication should be paying him each time they print/make use of it. (assuming he is considered to be the copyright owner - no idea on the legal position but morally the fact the monkey pushed a button seems to be a technicality... the photographer put a lot of work into setting the whole scenario up)
 
While I like the idea of a monkey holding the copyright to the photo the reality is the photographer put in a lot of effort to get those photos. It was also his equipment, so if the monkey can't hold copyright then it should devolve to the owner of the equipment.

TBH Wikimedia are being an arse and I'm still not sure why.
 
The monkey ate his nuts, signed on the dotted line, became part of his team so it's definitely Dave's copyright.
 
Mynight said:
Rather a jump from £2k in a year after taking to £10k in the next 2 years.

Didn't realize there was so much money in a photo.
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I don't get the maths:

£2k in the first year (2012), then £10k estimate to the present day (2-3 years).
Why would he estimate that he would have a sustained revenue increase of 50%+ from a photo?

Maybe its to do with the legal fees needed to take wikipeida to court...
 
Judgeneo said:
I don't get the maths:

£2k in the first year (2012), then £10k estimate to the present day (2-3 years).
Why would he estimate that he would have a sustained revenue increase of 50%+ from a photo?

Maybe its to do with the legal fees needed to take wikipeida to court...
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Maybe it only became popular/started earning money for him part way through the year.... thus you trying to extrapolate from 2012 earnings to future years could be flawed.
 
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It's a shame, the bloke obivoulsy put effort and work into getting some photos and ended up with a couple of cracking ones.

With the group photo argument or even the off the wall "he hired the monkey" imho he should be paid for any use of the image
 
Surely it's the same as going to a dog show? The humans own the camera equipment, the show dogs are trained enough to do their pose / stunt / whatever while the photographer(s) set up the shots. In the monkey example, Dave obviously tamed it enough to get that shot as pictured in the OP.
 
The dogs don't actually take the photo though do they?

I do see what you're saying but the argument is that the monkey pressed the button even if the photographer set up the exposure and so on.

Technically it is his.
 
Surely the monkey, but as the monkey has no rights in law. Then general.
The monkey wouldn't have signed any papers going by using your equipment he owns the copyright, like you do at work/uni.
So although it seems a little unfair I'm going public.
Court case will ultimately decide.
 
Mynight said:
The dogs don't actually take the photo though do they?

I do see what you're saying but the argument is that the monkey pressed the button even if the photographer set up the exposure and so on. I voted Dave on the poll.

Technically it is his.
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Sorry I wasn't very clear in my post. I did mean that it's the guy's copyright and I used the dog show as a comparison.
 
The problem I have is that the monkey just held the camera and pressed the trigger - that was only part of setting the shot up... the photographer set the camera up and had a big hand in actually 'creating' the photograph above and beyond simply owning the equipment. Pushing the button is only part of the process... the photographer had to set up the camera, configure the settings - shutter/aperture, ISO etc.. then allow the event to occur.

Will be interesting to see the verdict.
 
Or have it set to auto, like most cameras. Especially as it's unlikely he would know the settings in advance or that it would happen.
 
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